Suspected al-Qaida militants attack security headquarters in southern Yemen

ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Suspected al-Qaida militants attacked on Friday evening the security headquarters of Yemen's southern province of Lahj, killing a soldier and injuring five others, a local security official said.

The official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that suspected al-Qaida militants fired rocket-proppled grenades, targeting the central security forces headquarters in al-Houta city, the provincial capital of Lahj province, leaving a soldier killed and five others injured.

The militants managed to escape after the armed attack, he added.

Witnesses said that buildings nearby the security headquarters were severely damaged.

The attack came just one day after the Military Intelligence Agency headquarters in Lahj province were targeted by rocket- propelled grenade fire.

Earlier this week, leading members of the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Abyan vowed to move their battles with the army forces to the neighboring provinces of Aden, Lahj and Shabwa after scores of terrorists were killed by air strikes and army offensives, according to statements distributed among local residents.

Government forces launched a heavy crackdown on the terrorist group members in Abyan, forcing many of al-Qaida militants to flee and search for safer places in other neighboring provinces.