Seven government soldiers were killed and others injured when suspected al-Qaeda militants attacked troops in Yemen’s southern Abyan province.
The attack took place in Dofas district, and a security official in the area said that this was the fifth attack this week on government forces in the district.
The militants fled the seen shortly after conducting the surprising attack .
One militant was killed, the official said.
Clashes have been ongoing in Abyan since May, when suspected extremist militants took over the province and called for an Islamic emirate in Abyan. Militants conducted attacks in other Yemen southern provinces including Aden and Lahj, in an effort to expand their emirate to coastal waters.
More than 200 people have been killed since clashes erupted.