Al-Qaida gunmen kill 3 soldiers in southern Yemen

ABYAN, YEMEN (BNO NEWS) -- At least three soldiers were killed and four others were wounded on Sunday after an attack by suspected al-Qaida members in Yemen's southern province of Abyan, a security source said.

The state-run Saba news agency reported that the militants fled to an unknown destination after attacking a government compound, killing three soldiers and wounding four others. Security services are currently looking for them.

On Friday, militants of al-Qaida wing carried out an attack on a security checkpoint in Abyan's provincial capital city of Zinjibar, killing two policemen and a passerby. Another policeman and a passerby were also wounded in the attack.

Al-Qaida attacks against the army and the security forces have increased in Yemen's south and east provinces since the rise of protests demanding President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. The three-month-long anti-government protests have undermined the security and stability of the country.

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