(CBS News) Yemen's Defense Ministry claimed Friday that Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical Islamic preacher believed to be a high-ranking member of al Qaeda's franchise in the region, has been killed.
Al-Awlaki, born in New Mexico and a U.S. citizen, has been linked to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's attempted bombing of a U.S. passenger jet over Detroit on Christmas day, 2009, and is thought to be a leader of the group.
U.S. officials consider him a most-wanted terror suspect, and have made it quite clear that his capture, or demise, would be viewed as a success in the ongoing battle against al Qaeda, and Islamic extremist groups in general.
A Defense Ministry official told CBS News he was killed, but gave no further details.
There have been previous reports claiming al-Awlaki's death, but they turned out to be erroneous. The U.S. government has yet to confirm Friday's claim by the Yemenis.
Al-Arabiya television network cited local tribal sources as saying suspected U.S. drone aircraft - which are known to operate in Yemen - fired two missiles Friday at a convoy of vehicles believed to be carrying al-Awlaki and his guards.
CBS News' Khaled Wassef reports that Al-Awlaki was reported dead following U.S. air strikes on southern Yemen in December 2009 and November 2010. He was also the target of a U.S. drone attack that killed two al Qaeda operatives in southern Yemen on May 5, 2011.
Wassef reports that al-Awlaki last appeared in a video released online in August 2010.
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