ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Clashes erupted between Yemeni army forces and al-Qaida militants on Sunday, leaving at least eight militants and a soldier killed in southern province of Abyan, a provincial security official said.
The fighting took place in the eastern suburbs of Zinjibar city, the provincial capital of Abyan, as armored vehicles and tanks of the army forces attempted to storm some positions of the al-Qaida terrorist group, the security official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The botched attempt by the army forces left eight militants and a soldier killed, the security official said, adding that clashes using medium and large-caliber rifles are still going on between the two sides across the region.
Al-Qaida snippers were deployed around the entrances of the city in order to impede any progress by the army forces, according to the official.
Since late January 2011, when protests erupted against Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh's rule, the militants of al- Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have been working to bolster their presence in the country's remote regions.
The group has taken control of several cities and towns across the restive southern provinces, as Yemeni government forces engaged in fierce clashes with militants over past months, leaving hundreds of people killed.
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