Aden, Jan 23 (IANS): Yemen's pro-government forces thwarted an attack by militants of the Yemen-based al-Qaeda factions targetting a military installation in the country's southern province of Abyan on Thursday, a security official told Xinhua.

The official said on condition of anonymity that a unit of the 2nd Brigade of Yemen's pro-government forces successfully defended against a "treacherous attack" by al-Qaeda militants in Omran Valley at dawn.

Intense clashes persisted for some three hours, resulting in casualties for the terrorist group, and ultimately forcing them to retreat from the battlefield, the official said, without specifying the number of the casualties.

The pro-government forces remain "fully vigilant and ready to respond urgently to any threat and confront all terrorist attempts," the official added.

Meanwhile, a medical source told Xinhua news agency that at least six soldiers from the pro-government forces were injured during the engagement, with some sustaining critical wounds.

Al-Qaeda factions have been exploiting Yemen's protracted civil war and fragile security environment to consolidate their presence, particularly in the south.

In late 2022, the Yemeni government and Southern Transitional Council initiated a counter-terrorism campaign to dismantle al-Qaeda strongholds across Abyan province.

Yemen has been engulfed in a civil war since the Houthi group seized control of several northern provinces in late 2014, forcing the internationally recognised Yemeni government out of Sanaa.

Since last November, the Houthi group has launched rocket and drone attacks on Israel and disrupted "Israeli-linked" shipping in the Red Sea, reportedly in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amid the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In response, the US-led navy coalition stationed in the Red Sea has conducted regular air raids and strikes against Houthi targets since January to deter the group from disrupting international shipping lanes.