ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Intense clashes erupted Sunday between Yemeni army soldiers and al-Qaida group in the turbulent southern province of Abyan, killing at least six soldiers and 12 terrorists, an army officer said.
The clashes took place near the eastern entrance of Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan, as the army forces tried to carry out a large-scale attack against the positions of the al-Qaida militants.
The al-Qaida members confronted the army attack with firing a barrage of mortar shells, killing at least six army personnel of the 201st Armored brigade and injuring more than 15 others, the local army officer told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
A close source to the al-Qaida militants told Xinhua that at least 12 terrorists were killed during the ongoing fighting, which started late Saturday night across the Zinjibar neighborhoods of Bagdar and Badhrous.
Meanwhile, three air strikes were launched by the Yemeni airforce against various targets of al-Qaida terrorist group in downtown Zinjibar, a military source told Xinhua without giving any specific details of casualties.
Militants of the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) are taking advantage of the 10 months of protests against Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh's rule to bolster their presence in the country's southern regions, including cities across the Abyan and Shabwa provinces they seized late in May.
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