Sanaa, May 7 (IANS): Suspected Al Qaeda gunmen attacked a security headquarters in Yemen's southern province of Dhalea, a government official said on Saturday.

"Intense armed confrontations are still going on between the security forces and the Al Qaeda suspects in and around the security headquarters in Dhalea amid large explosions," the official told Xinhua news agency.

The attack on the security headquarters that includes a prison is aimed to free Al Qaeda inmates in it, he added.

A few security personnel, including two senior officials, were killed in the attacka.

Witnesses said the attackers also detonated bombs, causing large explosions.

Ambulances and a security unit backed by armoured vehicles rushed to the scene, they added.

The Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) network has been responsible for many high-profile attacks against the security forces in the country's southern provinces.

The AQAP has exploited years of deadly conflict between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels to expand its presence in the war-ravaged Arab country.