Bomb explosion kills 3 soldiers in Yemen’s Abyan

By Shukri Hussein
SANAA, Yemen (AA) – Three members of the government-affiliated Security Belt Forces (SBF) were killed in a bomb explosion in southern Yemen on Monday, according to a local military source.

The fatalities occurred when a device exploded in Mudiyah district during an operation to hunt down al-Qaeda militants in Abyan province, the source said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Six other soldiers were injured in the blast.

Last month, the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) launched a military operation to hunt down al-Qaeda militants in Abyan province.

Last week, at least 22 SBF soldiers were killed in an attack by al-Qaeda militants in Abyan.

Military headquarters in Abyan come under frequent attacks, usually attributed to al-Qaeda, which is active in the mountainous areas on the outskirts of Ahwar and Al-Mahfad districts, east of Zinjibar.

The Yemeni army and STC share control of Abyan province.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara