ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- A military officer and three soldiers from Yemen's government forces were killed by a roadside bomb in the country's southern turbulent province of Abyan on Wednesday, a government official said.
The bomb, which was planted by al-Qaida terrorists, detonated near a vehicle in the Mudiyah district of Abyan, killing a military officer, three soldiers and wounding two others onboard, the local government official said on condition of anonymity.
The government soldiers were carrying out an operation to hunt down al-Qaida militants in a rugged area, the official said.
In November 2022, military units of the Southern Transitional Council, which is a part of the Yemeni government, announced they were launching "a qualitative anti-terror operation and succeeded in raiding a key hideout of al-Qaida in Abyan."
Al-Qaida militants hiding out in rocky terrains and mountainous areas of Abyan and other neighboring provinces frequently use hit-and-run tactics against Yemeni government forces.
The Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula network has exploited years of deadly conflict between the Yemeni government and the Houthi militia to expand its presence in the war-ravaged Arab country. It has carried out many high-profile attacks against the security forces in the country's southern provinces. ■
