No rest for the weary.

(AFP) — A US drone attacked a Saudi Al-Qaeda leader in southern Yemen on Thursday, but missed and killed two local Al-Qaeda members, a security source and witnesses told AFP.

The drone had targeted the Saudi as he drove to the home of local Al-Qaeda men, the security source said, asking not to be identified.

When the two local Qaeda men rushed out in their own car, they were hit and killed by the drone.

The security source did not specify that the unmanned aircraft was American and there was no official word from the Yemeni authorities on who carried out the strike.

But the witnesses insisted it was a US drone that fired the missile.

The defence ministry confirmed the killing of two brothers, but did not elaborate on the circumstances of their deaths. Security sources identified the two brothers as Abdullah and Mubarak al-Harad.