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7 Yemeni soldiers killed in al-Qaida attack in Abyan

28 August 2010 20:09 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. At least seven security soldiers were killed and several others were wounded on Saturday in an al- Qaida attack in Yemeni southern troubled province of Abyan, a provincial official told, APA reports quoting Xunhua News Agency.

A number of al-Qaida militants raided a security checkpoint at the al-Maisery tribe in Modia district in Abyan and shot dead seven soldiers and wounded around five others while the soldiers were gathering for their evening meal to break their fast during the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, said the official.

The attackers managed to flee after their attack, the official told Xinhua by phone on condition of anonymity.

Another local official told Xinhua that the al-Qaida militants belonged to the al-Maisery tribe and their attack came in revenge for the soldiers who were killed last week.

Earlier Saturday, Yemeni Interior Ministry issued a highest state of alert following intelligence’s warnings of possible al- Qaida attacks, the ministry’s website said.

Abyan province is believed to be a stronghold of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) that has witnessed a string of deadly attacks allegedly carried out by the group since earlier this year.

The Yemeni government has intensified security operations and air raids against terrorist groups after the Yemen-based al-Qaida claimed responsibility for an attempted attack on a U.S. passenger plane bound for Detroit last year.