12 soldiers killed in east Yemen

Twelve Yemeni soldiers were killed and 11 others wounded in an attack by al Qaeda militants on the headquarters of security, military and government installations in Hadhramaut governorate in eastern Yemen. Security Commission in the governorate said in that the gunmen targeted government departments compound in Seoun, a number of banks, the headquarters of the First Military Area, Public Security Headquarters, the Traffic Department and the National Security Headquarters using all kinds of weapons and car bombs. The Commission said 12 security and army soldiers were killed and 11 others suffered various injuries, adding that they were transferred to hospital for treatment. It said the militants looted a number of bank and set fire to a number of government headquarters and facilities in the city. The Commission confirmed that army and security forces clashed with the militants after the attack and forced them to flee. For its part, the Yemeni Ministry of Defense announced that the clashes that took place in the city after the attack resulted in the death of 15 militants, including two foreigners. The attack comes just days after military and security forces carried out a campaign against Al-Qaeda members who are active in a number of areas of the governorates of neighbouring Abyan and Shabwa governorates.