Yemen's Defense Ministry said on Saturday that the navy had foiled a suicide attack targeting a warship off the southern province of Abyan.
It posted on its website that an explosives-laden boat approached the warship at night trying to hit it but the forces destroyed it.
"The boat continued to approach the warship at high speed and when it ignored warnings and bullets fired to prevent it from keeping that, the navy struck it sinking it and those onboard," the Ministry quoted Rowais Mujawar, Commander of the navy and coastal defense, as saying.
The army has been fighting Al-Qaeda militants for months in Abyan. Lately , some suicide attacks have been carried out targeting tribesmen of those who were supporting the army and soldiers killing some of them.
The developments come as Al-Qaeda is trying to expand its presence in the south where it has declared some cities as Islamic emirates.