Al Qaeda confirmed that Nasir al-Wahishi, its number two figure and leader of its powerful Yemeni affiliate, has been killed in a US strike, making it the harshest blow to the global militant network since the killing of Osama bin Laden.

A senior leader of Yemen’s al-Qaida branch has been killed in fighting in the nearly lawless south of the country, the Defence Ministry said.

Militants fired a rocket at a convoy carrying Britain’s deputy ambassador in Yemen and killed a Frenchman working for an oil company today in a pair of attacks increasing fears over the safety of Westerners.

A British embassy worker and three bystanders were injured in a rocket attack on a UK diplomatic car in Yemen today, officials said.