Reports deny death of Al-Qaida's No. 2 in Yemen

CAIRO (AP) -- He'd been reported killed in a U.S. drone attack -- but a man claiming to be al-Qaida's number-two leader in Yemen has released an audio message denying reports of his death.

The authenticity of the message can't be confirmed. It was posted on military websites late yesterday.

The man claiming to be Saeed al-Shihri denounces Yemen's government for spreading what he calls the "rumor about my death."

Yemeni officials had claimed that al-Shihri and six others traveling with him died on a September 10th strike on their vehicle. But shortly after the announcement was made, a Saudi newspaper quoted an unnamed senior Yemeni defense ministry official as saying DNA tests had proven that the dead man was not al-Shihri.

Meanwhile, Yemeni officials are reporting that another top member of the terror group was killed in a drone strike earlier this month. A Defense Ministry official says Abdl al-Abbab, ranking fourth in the network's leadership, was among the five people who were hit while traveling in two cars through a southern province.