SANAA, Sep. 30 (Xinhua) --The most-wanted U.S.-born Yemeni al- Qaida cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, is alive and was not in the targeted convoy hit by a unmanned U.S. drone Friday, one of his brothers told Xinhua by phone.
In a brief text message to journalist earlier in the day, the Yemeni defense ministry said that Anwar and a number of his followers were killed by Yemeni forces in Shabwa province in southeastern Yemen.
Al-Awlaki, said to be leader of Yemen-based al-Qaida branch, was also pronounced killed by Yemeni troops late last year, but the Yemeni government later admitted he was still alive.
