Suspected al-Qaida militants seize military base in SE Yemen

Dozens of suspected al-Qaida gunmen seized a military base in Yemen's southeastern province of Shabwa Thursday morning, a security official told Xinhua.

"A large number of suspected al-Qaida gunmen attacked troops inside the 19th infantry brigade located in Bayhan area in Shabwa province," the local security official said on condition of anonymity.

"They are well-armed and forced the army troops to abandon the base after a two-hour clash," a tribal source near the scene told Xinhua by phone.

Local residents said the gunmen burnt armored vehicles and looted all weaponry after they seized the base.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, but a local medic said 25 soldiers were wounded during the fighting.

The al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on its social media account.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional al-Qaida insurgencies in the Middle East.

AQAP, which emerged in January 2009 and also known locally as Ansar al-Sharia, had claimed responsibility for a number of attacks on Yemen's army and government institutions, as well as some Western interests.

In January, the AQAP claimed responsibility for the attack on the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, saying it was ordered by the Islamist militant group's leadership. Endit