Yemen: Suspected Qaida suicide attacks target military base

Suspected al-Qaida militants detonated three suicide car bombs at a military base in Yemen's southeastern province of Hadramout on Thursday, killing 16 soldiers, a security official told Xinhua.

The coordinated attacks targetted a key military base in the eastern outskirts of Mukalla, Hadramout's provincial capital, the local security source said on condition of anonymity.

"The suicide attacks targeted a military base controlled by newly recruited Yemeni soldiers and UAE troops in Khalaf area in the eastern parts of Mukalla," an army officer told Xinhua, referring to the United Arab Emirates, which is part of a Saudi-led coalition operating inside Yemen.

At least 16 Yemeni soldiers were killed and several others injured, said the army officer, adding that most of the casualties were from bomb disposal unit.

The toll could rise as ambulances, police vehicles were evacuating the victims to nearby military hospitals and medical centers, the source added. Endit