Suspected militants shot dead the deputy governor of Yemen’s central al-Bayda province on Tuesday.

Suspected militants shot dead the deputy governor of Yemen's central al-Bayda province on Tuesday, a security official said.

The provincial security head of al-Bayda, Adel al-Asbahi, said on the Defense Ministry website that gunmen opened fire on Hussein Dayyan as he was leaving his home. Provincial officials said they fled on motorbikes.

The officials said they believe the assailants were militants linked to al Qaeda, and that security forces were hunting for them.

Yemen has been hit by turmoil since anti-regime protests in 2011 forced president Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down after 33 years in office. Authorities have since struggled to rein in rival political factions and tribes, southern separatists and insurgents.

Al Qaeda militants have stepped up their attacks against local security and government officials in recent months.