Four soldiers were killed and seven others injured when armed people, believed to Al-Qaeda militants, opened fire at a security checkpoint in south Yemen on Friday.

One of the wounded was quoted as saying that the gunmen arrived on three motorbikes and two short buses to the checkpoint in Shahara area in Zunjbar, Abyan, and they started their 'merciless assault.'

About 20 soldiers were targeted early today, around 4:30 am, and the attackers used machine guns, hand grenades and RPGs, the soldier said.

"They surprised us immediately after dawn prayers, attacking us and pursuing us from a place to another."

The others were lucky and they barely survived being killed, the soldier added.

Eyewitnesses said the gunmen were shouting Allah is the greatest, and that the tent of the soldiers was completely destroyed.

A security source confirmed two soldiers were killed and five others injured, but gave no more details about the attack that resumes violence in the province where thousands of troops were deployed to secure the 20th Gulf football championship.

Abyan province has recently been a scene for violence including attacks against military camps, security checkpoints and officers and their cars, mainly blamed on Al-Qaeda and the separatist movement.

In Lahj, an officer and three soldiers were killed and four others injured in the violence that resumed between armed saboteurs and the army on Thursday, a source at the security committee in the province said.

In a statement, the source said saboteurs attacked at noon a number of troops while they were on duty in Al-Habilain district killing and injuring seven. A hunt was launched for the perpetrators to bring them to justice, the source said.

Tens of thousands of troops were deployed to Aden and Abyan to secure the soccer event that took place through November 22 to December 05.

No incidents were reported during the event, but shortly after it reports started to surface on resuming violence.