Aden, Jan 19 (IANS): Suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen killed an anti-terror judge in Yemen's southern port city of Aden in the latest of a series of assassinations against officials.

Masked gunmen, believed to be linked to Yemen-based Al-Qaeda branch, late Monday shot a local judge named Abdul-Hadi Muflhi, Xinhua quoted police as saying.

Muflhi died on the spot "after receiving several gunshots from two gunmen", witnesses said.

The killing took place two hours after Aden's authorities issued decision to ban the movement of motorbikes on the city's streets, a police officer said.

Local security sources blamed Al-Qaeda for the attack though no organisation has claimed responsibility.

During the past few days, several military intelligence officers, government officials and anti-terror judges were killed in Aden in similar drive-by shootings claimed either by Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State terrorist group.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been mired in chaos since last March when a war broke out between Shia Houthi rebels supported by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and government forces backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.