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Yemen's defence ministry has reported that Anwar al-Awlaki, a well-known and controversial imam with alleged ties to al-Qaeda, was killed along with four others.

A government statement released to the media on Friday said Awlaki was hunted down by Yemeni forces, but did not elaborate on the circumstances of his death. He was wanted by both the US and Yemen.

"The terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki has been killed along with some of his companions," the statement sent by text message to journalists said.

The 40-year-old US-born Awlaki, a dual Yemeni-American citizen, was a father of five. Among those that were killed with him was the co-editor of al-Qaeda's Inspire magazine, Samir Khan, a US citizen of Pakistani origin.

Khan was a specialist in computer programming and was also wanted by the Yemeni government and the US.

Two vehicles hit

Tribal sources told the AFP news agency that Awlaki was killed early on Friday in an air raid that hit two vehicles travelling through an al-Qaeda stronghold in central Yemen.

Government officials say he was targeted 8km from the town of Khashef in the province of al-Jawf, just 140km from Sanaa, the capital.

Barack Obama said the killing of Awlaki was a "significant milestone in the broader effort to defeat al-Qaeda and its affiliates".

Gregory Johnsen, a Yemen ... >>>