Yemen says it has further intensified its offensive against al-Qaeda militants. The army reports it has launched attacks on targets including the house of suspected al-Qaeda leader Ayed al-Shabwani. He was reportedly killed in an air raid last week.

A Yemeni army spokesman says three raids were launched today against the militant leader's house and one against a nearby orange plantation where al-Qaeda fighters were believed to be sheltering. There are conflicting reports about how many people have been killed.

Yemen started its offensive against suspected al-Qaeda operatives in the country after the failed attempt to bring down a transatlantic flight on Christmas Day. A Nigerian man who was trained by al-Qaeda in Yemen tried to blow up a plane flying from Amsterdam to Detroit.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced that direct flights between Yemen and the UK are being suspended until extra security measures are agreed.

map of Yemen (Wikipedia)