ADEN, Yemen, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated by al-Qaeda militants killed two government soldiers in Yemen's southern Abyan province on Tuesday, a security official said.
The security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the government forces were raiding the Omayran Valley, a hotbed for terrorist activities, when the device exploded. The explosion hit one of their military vehicles, killing two soldiers on the spot.
Six other people sustained varying injuries and were receiving treatment currently, he added.
The source said the explosion disrupted the operation, forcing the government troops to halt their advance against the al-Qaeda positions in the area.
It is the latest in a string of IED attacks by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), al-Qaeda's Yemeni faction, to target government and coalition forces over the past few months in Abyan.
The province has seen intensified fighting as security forces seek to dismantle remaining al-Qaeda strongholds, but the terrorist group continues to deploy homemade bombs and landmines across the region.
Yemen has witnessed an uptick in attacks by al-Qaeda and other militant groups in recent years, as they have exploited the ongoing conflict between the Houthi group and the government forces that has ravaged the country for nearly a decade. ■
