The ideological leader of Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was killed in a drone strike this week, allegedly by the United States, AQAP said in a statement published Tuesday.

Ibrahim al-Rubaish, who in January accused France of surpassing the United States as the top enemy of Islam, was killed with several other militants in a "crusade raid" on Monday, the statement said, apparently referring to a drone attack that killed six people in southeast Yemen.

The United States is the only country that operates drones over Yemen.