Army forces kill 5 al-Qaida militants in south Yemen

ADEN, Yemen, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's army forces shelled several hideouts of the al-Qaida militants in the southern province of Abyan, killing at least five militants and wounding dozens of others on Saturday evening, a local army officer told Xinhua.

Troops of the 25th Mechanized Brigade attacked and shelled positions of al-Qaida militants scattered in the southern entrances and the center of Zinjibar city, the provincial capital of Abyan province, the officer said on condition of anonymity.

Five al-Qaida militants were killed and dozens of others were injured, he said, adding that armed clashes between the two sides were still going on in various areas of Abyan province.

Also on Saturday, a tribal meeting was held in the region, which approved the engagement of tribal fighters in the fighting against al-Qaida militants, a tribal chief told Xinhua.

"Troops of the 25th Mechanized Brigade along with a number of tribal fighters are on their way tonight to push out al-Qaida militants from the Zinjibar city," said the chief.

Around 70,000 people were displaced from their homes due to the continuing battles between the al-Qaida militants and the army troops in Abyan province and took shelter in schools and abandoned homes in the adjoining southern port city of Aden province, according to human rights groups.

The government forces launched intensified air raids and fierce battles against the terrorist group a month ago, after the latter seized two largest Abyan's cities of Jaar and Zinjibar, about 480 km south of capital Sanaa.