The Yemeni army commander leading the fight against militants in the south of the country has been killed in a suicide attack, officials say, according to BBC News.

Gen Salem Ali Qatan died in the port city of Aden when a suicide bomber attacked the car he was travelling in.

Yemen is battling militants linked to al-Qaeda who have taken control of parts of the south of the country. The army has recently recaptured several strongholds in the restive southern province of Abyan.

The Yemeni defence ministry said Gen Qatan had been travelling in a three-car convoy when the bomber threw himself at the general's SUV and detonated his explosives.

The commander was killed and four security guards and a passer-by seriously wounded, the ministry said.

The ministry identified the bomber as a Somali national but gave no further details.

Yemeni militants quoted by the Chinese news agency Xinhua on Monday claimed they had assassinated Gen Qatan in response to the army offensive in the south.

Gen Qatan was appointed in March shortly after newly elected President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi took office.