13 al-Qaida militants, 10 soldiers killed in fighting in south Yemen's Abyan

ADEN, Yemen, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Al-Qaida militants carried out offensive attacks at the military troops in Yemen's southern province of Abyan on Sunday, leaving 13 al-Qaida militants and 10 soldiers killed and dozens of others from both sides injured, local army officers told Xinhua.

Al-Qaida militants were trying to completely get rid of the 25th Mechanized Brigade, which was encircled by al-Qaida fighters about a month ago, the officer said, adding that clashes were still going on in various parts of the al-Qaida-seized Zinjibar city.

On Saturday, an army officer told Xinhua that the 25th besieged Mechanized Brigade was in a pressing need for water, supplies and weapons. He said that they appealed for assistance and urgent military reinforcements.

Fierce battles erupted late on Friday between al-Qaida militants and troops of the 25th Mechanized Brigade stationed in the southeastern outskirts of al-Qaida-seized of Zinjibar city, ended up with holding more than 50 soldiers as hostages, according to local army officers.

The al-Qaida militants have apparently taken advantage of the absence of security forces which were preoccupied with dealing with the five-month-old unrest demanding the resignation of country's embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh.