Yemen's defense ministry said on Monday unknown gunmen shot dead a soldier in Mukalla, the capital of the eastern province of Hadramout.
The gunmen were on a motorbike and they ran away before the police arrived at the site, it posted on its website, adding the soldier was a soldier in the 27th Mecha brigade.
However, informed sources said the victim was an intelligence officer.
The killing was part of an uncontrolled campaign of assassinations targeting military and security chiefs and officers, mainly intelligence officers. Many assassinations have been reported in recent months in main cities including the capital Sanaa which saw this year the deadliest ever suicide bombings by Al-Qaeda militants.
Most of the assassinations have been blamed on Al-Qaeda after severe blows it received since May.
Separately, at least two civilians were killed and nine others injured in a bomb explosion that occurred at a popular market in Yemen's southern Taiz province on Monday, Almasdar reported.
The website quoted eyewitnesses as saying the bomb was detonated at the Dimant Khadeer market where vegetables and qat are sold.
"The bomb was thrown from inside a car at civilians who were shopping," it quoted a security source as saying.
The source did not give more details about the incident and said an investigation is underway.