Aden, June 14 (IANS): At least five Yemeni soldiers were killed and 10 injured Saturday in a pre-dawn suicide car bomb attack in Yemen's Abyan province, a security official said.
"A suicide bomber detonated an explosive-packed vehicle near an army outpost in Abyan's district of Mahfad around 2.30 in the morning. As a result, five army personnel were killed and 10 others injured," Xinhua reported citing the official.
Suspected members of the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda offshoot were behind the large explosion in Mahfad town of Abyan, he added.
Residents said heavy shooting and armed confrontations occurred after the suicide blast.
The Yemeni military and security forces have recently intensified operations against suspected Al Qaeda strongholds throughout the country, killing many non-Yemeni Al-Qaeda suspects.