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Yemeni policeman killed by gunmen in restive south

22 March 2012 21:30 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A Yemeni policeman was killed on Thursday evening by unknown gunmen in the country’s restive southern province of Lahj, a police officer said, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Unknown gunmen opened fire at the security administration building in Houta city, the provincial capital city of Lahj, killing at least a policeman and wounding five others, the local police officer told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

"Sporadic clashes also took place early this morning in the suburbs of Lahj city as armed men of the al-Qaida-linked Partisans of Sharia (Islamic law) attempted to push into the territory, but they were stopped by heavy pounding from government troops," the police officer said.

Sounds of heavy artillery shelling and gunfire can still be heard in the Houta’s neighborhoods following the drive-by shooting, local residents said.

In a text message received by Xinhua from the al-Qaida spokesman, the group claimed responsibility for conducting the armed attack in Lahj and killing an intelligence officer in the oil-rich province of Hadramout.

"We executed an officer for spying on our members and revealing information to the U.S. backed forces. Our fighters also attacked a security station in Lahj, killing and injuring a number of soldiers," the message said.

Earlier in the day, a missile strike launched by a U.S. drone targeted al-Qaida bases in Yemen’s war-torn southern province of Abyan, killing at least 30 fighters of the terrorist group, officials and witnesses told Xinhua.

Security forces and intelligence officials are regularly targeted in the country’s southern and eastern provinces as militants of the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula ( AQAP) attempt to expand their foothold and take control over the lawless regions.