ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Two coordinated suicide car bombings carried out by al-Qaeda militants struck a local government compound in Yemen's southern province of Abyan on Tuesday, killing four soldiers, a military official told Xinhua.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the first explosion occurred when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into the main gate of the local government headquarters in Al Mahfid district. Moments later, a second bomber detonated another vehicle targeting the nearby headquarters of the 1st Infantry Brigade.
The twin bombings killed four soldiers at the sites, said the official.
Following the twin blasts, several militants dressed in military uniforms launched an assault on pro-government forces, sparking fierce clashes that lasted for several hours before the attackers were repelled.
The official said at least six al-Qaeda militants wearing explosive vests were killed during the fighting. Ten soldiers were wounded, some critically, and were transferred to the southern port city of Aden for treatment, he added.
Witnesses reported that nearby houses, shops, and a medical center sustained heavy damage from the powerful explosions, which sent thick plumes of smoke billowing over the district.
The Yemen-based al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), long considered one of the most dangerous branches of the extremist network, has not claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
AQAP has taken advantage of Yemen's civil war and the country's fragile security situation to entrench itself in the south. In late 2022, the government, in coordination with the Southern Transitional Council, launched a counter-terrorism campaign in Abyan. However, officials say the group remains active, carrying out bombings and attacks against security forces.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government into exile. ■
