By Mohamed al-Samei

SANAA

Police in Yemen’s southwestern Lahij province on Thursday announced that an Al-Qaeda leader had been killed by an "unknown assailant" while in police custody.

According to a police statement, Abu al-Mehdar (the authorities did not provide his full name) was killed after turning himself in to police one month ago.

The statement, which did not say when the assassination occurred, suggested that the source of the fatal gunshot may have been a nearby police shooting range.

Last year, Yemeni government forces wrested control of most parts of Lahij, although clashes sporadically erupt in the northern part of the province with Shia Houthi militants.