Aden: Four soldiers were killed in an attack by al-Qaeda elements targeting government-affiliated forces in southern Yemen, a government source told dpa. The attack occurred in the al-Mahfad district of the southern Abyan province, an area largely controlled by the Southern Transitional Council (STC).
According to Ghana News Agency, the STC forces managed to detonate two car bombs before the al-Qaeda members reached their brigade site. Six al-Qaeda suicide bombers were also killed in the ensuing clashes, the source reported.
In a statement, STC military commander Nasr al-Yafei confirmed the death toll and stated that the brigade's forces have eliminated all the attackers. The STC, backed by the United Arab Emirates, is allied with the internationally-recognized government against the Houthi rebels, who took control of the country's northern areas, including the capital Sana'a, in late 2014.
Yemen has been in turmoil due to the ongoing power struggle between the government and the rebels since then. Southern forces have repeatedly been targeted by al-Qaeda militants in recent years.
