SANAA, Yemen (AA) – Three soldiers from Yemen’s separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) were killed in an attack by suspected al-Qaeda terrorists in southern Yemen on Tuesday, according to an official statement.
A statement by the STC-affiliated Shabwa Defense Forces said the attack targeted a military checkpoint in Bayhan district in Shabwa province.
It said a number of al-Qaeda terrorists were killed, but without giving an exact figure.
A Yemeni military source said the attack bears the hallmarks of al-Qaeda group.
Al-Qaeda has a presence in many of Yemen's southern provinces. The terrorist group sporadically stages deadly attacks against security and military forces in war-torn Yemen.
Oil-rich Shabwa province is controlled by STC fighters and allied government forces.
Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.
* Writing by Ahmed Asmar
