SANAA: A local Yemeni official said on Sunday that 49 civilians, among them 23 children and 17 women, were killed in air strikes against Al-Qaeda, which he said were carried out "indiscriminately."

Exiled southern leader Ali Salem al-Baid had accused the Yemeni authorities of killing at least 62 civilians in Thursday's air strikes Sanaa said targeted an Al-Qaeda training camp in the southern province of Abyan.

The local official from the Al-Mahfed region, which includes the village of Al-Maajala where the strike took place, on Sunday confirmed civilian deaths.

"The raid was carried out indiscriminately and killed 49 civilians, including 23 children and 17 women," said the official, who did not wish to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.

A tribal leader from the Al-Kazam tribe too confirmed civilian deaths.

"In total, 49 civilians were killed," he told AFP. "Al-Qaeda has chosen to build its training centre on land where bedouin nomads pitch their tents, and the government forces believe the nomads harbour Al-Qaeda forces," said the leader, also speaking on condition of anonymity.

Yemeni government officials said the Thursday air strikes against Al-Maajala killed 30 suspected Al-Qaeda members, and that four Al-Qaeda members were also killed Thursday in a ground raid in Abhar, 35 kilometers north of Sanaa.

Yemen's defence ministry said on its website that "several" local Al-Qaeda leaders were killed in the air strikes. It identified five of them, including Mohammad Saleh Al-Kazimi, whom it said was the commander of the training camp.

The ministry also said that a Saudi, identified as Ibrahim al-Najdi, was among those killed in Abyan.

The province of Abyan has in recent years become a base area for Islamist fighters, including veterans of fighting in Afghanistan. It is outside the control of Yemeni security forces.

Since the air strikes, more than 30 members of Al-Qaeda have been arrested by government forces, the defence ministry said on Saturday.

The New York Times reported Saturday that US President Barack Obama approved firepower, intelligence and other support for Yemen's efforts against Al-Qaeda. mou-tm/wd/bpz