Aden, Apr 2 (IANS): At least three soldiers of Yemen's government forces were killed in an ambush by al-Qaida gunmen in the country's southern province of Abyan, a military official told the media.

The troop fell into a shooting rampage launched by the ambushed gunmen while they were driving in patrol in the Umayran Valley of the province, the local military official said on condition of anonymity on Saturday.

Several other soldiers who were injured in the attack received medical assistance immediately, the military official added.

Tensions have been escalating in Abyan as al-Qaida gains a foothold in the region, exploiting the current instability caused by the years-long military conflict raging in Yemen, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Yemen-based al-Qaida terror group has been responsible for a surge in attacks against government forces, intelligence officials, and military infrastructure, further exacerbating the already dire situation in the war-ravaged Arab country.

In an effort to combat the mounting terror threat, government forces backed by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition conducted several large-scale military operations on al-Qaida hideouts in recent months.

However, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have not been successful in eliminating the terror groups entrenched in various mountainous areas of Abyan and other neighbouring southern provinces.

Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthi rebels fighting against the internationally-recognised government and its allies, which include a Saudi Arabia-led coalition.