Two soldiers killed in attack by suspected al-Qaida militants in Yemen's Aden

ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- At least two soldiers were killed and five others seriously injured early Monday when suspected al-Qaida militants carried out an attack against a government building in the southern port city of Aden, a security official said.

The local security official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that two armed groups of suspected al-Qaida militants attacked a building of the Local Military Intelligence Agency in the al-Mulla district, killing at least two soldiers and seriously injuring five others.

"The suspected al-Qaida militants opened heavy fire towards the soldiers guarding the building," he said, adding that "the attackers managed to flee after the incident."

"A vehicle outside the building was on fire following armed clashes between the two sides," an eyewitness said.

A number of Aden's military intelligence offices and government buildings experienced during the past three months a series of bomb blasts and suicide attacks, killing and injuring dozens of military members, as the authorities accused militants of the al- Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) of masterminding the attacks.