Roadside bomb kills 2 pro-gov't tribesmen in southern Yemen

ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- A roadside bomb planted by al- Qaida militants exploded Wednesday near a checkpoint of pro- government tribesmen, killing at least two tribal fighters and injuring seven others in Yemen's southern province of Abyan, a tribal chief said.

The tribal chief told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that an al-Qaida roadside bomb was exploded in the Lauder district near a checkpoint of pro-government tribesmen, who engaged in the fighting with the army forces against the al-Qaida militants, leaving two tribal fighters killed and seven others injured.

The roadside bomb targeted a checkpoint set up by tribesmen to counter and impede al-Qaida activities in the region, he said.

Meanwhile, fighting between al-Qaida militants and units of the army forces was still going on in and around Zinjibar, according to military sources.

Abyan, some 480 km south of the capital Sanaa, has been the scene of daily fierce fighting after hundreds of militants from the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) captured Zinjibar and at least three other towns in May.

Yemeni military forces regained control of Zinjibar last month, but heavy clashes were still rocking the region.

For more than three months, government troops have been fighting with AQAP militants who were apparently taking advantage of the country's nearly nine months of political turmoil to expand their military operations and control in the lawless southern and eastern parts of the country.