Al Qaeda 's No . 2 target in Arabia was Abu Ali al - Azdi , also named Saeed al - Shahri . Yemen confirms he was killed in a military counter - terrorism operation . `` Dozens of brave Yemeni officers and innocent civilians have lost their lives in this ongoing war . A jihadist had tweeted the death earlier this day , Liberty Media Group says . Al - Azdi was buried by militants at an undisclosed place in Yemen , officials say .
Al Qaeda 's No . 2 target in Arabia was Abu Ali al - Azdi , also named Saeed al - Shahri . Yemen confirms he was killed in a military counter - terrorism operation . A jihadist had tweeted the death earlier this day , Liberty Media Group says . Al - Azdi was buried by militants at an undisclosed place in Yemen , officials say .