Yemen's military says army forces have killed a leader of the country's al-Qaida branch.

The military said Thursday Ayed al-Shabwani was killed in heavy fighting between militants and government troops in the southern town of Zinjibar. Al-Qaida militants have controlled the town since May.

Reports say troops also killed a second al-Qaida leader, but his identity is unconfirmed at this time.

The violence comes a day after a car bomb blast in the nearby southern port of Aden killed a British shipping executive in an attack blamed on al-Qaida.

Yemeni officials say the bomb detonated Wednesday inside the man's car as he drove away from a hotel in Aden's Mualla Plaza. There was no claim of responsibility for the attack on the British shipping surveyor.

The British Foreign Office confirmed to VOA that a British citizen was killed in the bombing but did not release the name. It said the victim's family has asked the media to respect its privacy.

Bombings are rare in Aden, a strategic port that is relatively calm compared to neighboring Abyan province.