Suspected Al-Qaeda militants attacked Tuesday night a checkpoint run by the pro-government popular committees, which have been supporting the Yemeni army on the war on militants in the south, killing at least six. Almasdar Online quoted local sources as saying the militants carried out two successive attacks on the checkpoint in Abyan province, one was by a car bombing, killing six including four pro-government tribal fighters and injuring others. "The attacks targeted the Qofl checkpoint at the eastern entry to the Modia city," the sources were quoted as saying.First, clashes erupted between the pro-government fighters and the militants in which three tribesmen were injured and a militant was killed, the website said.Shortly afterwards, an explosive-laden car was rammed into the checkpoint killing three tribesmen at least and the bomber, it added. Several other tribal fighters were injured and the sources said one of them died from his wounds later, it continued. The attacks came after a Yemeni court in Sanaa sentenced several Al-Qaeda operatives to jail terms ranging from 1 to 6 years this month after convicting them of forming armed groups that targeted military and security commanders and offices as well as public properties. With direct support from the US and the popular committees, the Yemeni army launched an offensive and drove Al-Qaeda militants out of their strongholds in Abyan and Shabwa provinces earlier this year. Hundreds of militants including senior leaders were killed in the offensive. Meanwhile, the authorities are continuing a massive hunt for key Al-Qaeda operatives across the republic with many militants including senior leaders and bombing cells arrested in the past few months.