Tribal chiefs in southern Yemen say an airstrike has killed at least 12 people, including several local al-Qaida leaders.

The tribal leaders said Tuesday the overnight strike was in the town of Lawdar in Abyan province, about 200 kilometers east of Taiz.

Al-Qaida-linked militants have been fighting to control parts of southern Yemen.

There was no confirmation of who carried out the airstrike, but the United States has been responsible for previous attacks.

A U.S. drone strike in Yemen in September killed American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, a key al-Qaida figure.