Awlaqi son among militants killed in Yemen strikes: Tribe

ADEN: A son of US-born al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaqi was among seven suspected militants killed in a trio of apparent US air strikes in Yemen, a member of his tribe said on Saturday.

"Abderrahman Anwar al-Awlaqi was killed in the raid," the tribal source told AFP, adding that he had received confirmation from the militant-controlled Yemeni hospital where the dead and wounded from Friday evening's strikes were taken.

Apart from Abderrahman, 21, the strikes also killed a cousin of Awlaqi and three other members of the Awlaqi tribe, the source said.

He said that the other three included Sarhan al-Qussa'a, brother of Fahd al-Qussa'a, a leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula he said was on a US wanted list.

Awlaqi himself was killed in a US drone stike on September 30, which US President Barack Obama hailed as a "major blow" to al Qaeda worldwide.

US intelligence officials believe that Anwar al-Awlaqi was linked to a US army major charged with shooting dead 13 people in Fort Hood, Texas, and to a Nigerian student accused of trying to blow up a US airliner on December 25, 2009.

He was also believed to be the leader of external operations of al Qaeda in the Arabian Pensinsula.