Suspected al-Qaida attack kills 5 soldiers in Yemen

Suspected al-Qaida gunmen attacked key military brigades Monday morning in Yemen's southern province of Abyan, killing five soldiers and wounding dozens of others, a government official told Xinhua.

"Dozens of well-armed al-Qaida members launched coordinated attacks and invaded headquarters of the 39th Armored Brigade, taking control over several key military positions in Mahfad town of Abyan province," the local government official based in Abyan said on condition of anonymity.

The source said five soldiers were killed and scores of others, including officers, were injured in the attack.

Meanwhile, another military source in Abyan told Xinhua by phone that suspected al-Qaida militants attacked the 115th Army Brigade in the same region.

"In the early hours of Monday, al-Qaida terrorists succeeded to gain access to several army locations in Mahfad town," the military source said.

Local residents said that dozens of al-Qaida militants were deployed in town's entrances and attempted to take full control over the area.

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

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, 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.

The group stepped up its attacks against Yemeni army in southern regions, taking advantage of the power vacuum after the Shiite Houthi group took over control of the capital Sanaa in September. Endit