Ghazi al-Samawi, a criminal investigations officer named on an al-Qaeda hit-list, was killed in Zinjibar (Abyan province) on Sunday night.

A Yemeni official said two men on a motorbike shouted "Allahu akbar" as they shot him and sped off. Motorbike attacks have become a common assassination method in Yemen.

Last month, al-Qaeda issued a list of 55 security officials and said they would be killed if they failed to "repent". Samawi is thought to be the first victim among those on the list.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 12 October 2010