Yemeni official assassinated by suspected al-Qaida gunmen

SANAA, Yemen – Yemeni security officials say two gunmen assassinated a colonel in the southern province of Hadramout, the latest in a long series of attacks on the country's security forces.

Col. Abd al-Ghani al-Muqalih, the general manager of a military-affiliated corporation, was killed in a drive-by shooting on Tuesday by two men, whom security officials believe to be from al-Qaida. Militants have carried out a series of similar attacks and assassinations on military and government leaders in recent years.

Officials have previously said they believe they are targeted in retaliation for a military offensive which pushed al-Qaida militants out of their strongholds in southern Yemen.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to address the media, said that authorities are investigating the killing.