Al-Qaeda's No. 2 in Yemen says he's alive in audio

• Audio recording purported to be of Saeed al-Shihri has surfaced on the Internet
• In audio, man denies reports that he was killed by a U.S. drone strike last month
• The authenticity of the video could not be independently confirmed

CAIRO (AP) — An audio recording purported to be of al-Qaeda's No. 2 in Yemen has surfaced on the Internet with the militant figure denying government reports that he was killed by a U.S. drone strike last month.

In the message, a man claiming to be Saudi-born Saeed al-Shihri says reports of his death were a "rumor to cover up the killing of innocent Muslim civilians."

The authenticity of the video could not be independently confirmed. It was produced by al-Qaeda's media arm in Yemen, al-Malahem, and posted on militant websites late Sunday.

Yemeni officials, speaking anonymously in line with regulations, have said al-Shihri and six others traveling with him died in a September strike on their vehicle. The missile was believed to have been fired by a U.S.-operated, unmanned drone aircraft.