Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- Gunmen fatally shot an American teacher in the Yemeni province of Taiz on Sunday, two defense ministry officials said. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the terror network's affiliate in Yemen, claimed responsibility for the killing. In a text message sent to Yemeni media outlets, the group said the victim was spreading Christianity, calling him one of the biggest missionaries in the country. But the International Training and Development Center said the victim, whom it identified as "Joel S.," was not a missionary. "He was an American development worker who had been working in Yemen with his wife and two children since 2010," when he began working for the education center, it said.
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The victim's employer says the American was not a missionary
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Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula accused the vicim of spreading Christianity
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A provincial security head identifies the victim as Joel Shrum
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The Yemeni government says it killed 14 Islamic militants
The U.S. Embassy in the capital, Sanaa, said it had heard reports of an @placeholder death and was investigating.