ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Two Yemeni security members were killed in a roadside bombing in the country's southern province of Abyan on Saturday, a government official told Xinhua.
"An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) placed by unknown elements struck a vehicle of the security forces in Mahfed district of Abyan, killing two soldiers at the scene," said the government source on condition of anonymity.
Without providing more details, the official said that a number of soldiers were injured and instantly shifted to receive treatment in a nearby hospital.
The roadside bomb blast occurred just a day following a large attack launched by scores of al-Qaida militants against an army base in Mahfed.
The al-Qaida attack aimed at seizing control over the army base of the newly-recruited Yemeni forces in Mahfed, but failed following intense clashes that left 20 soldiers killed and several others injured.
Heavy reinforcements from Yemeni security forces backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) arrived later in Mahfed and managed to expel the terrorists from the base and the surrounding area, he said.
Al-Qaida militants who have intensified their armed attacks against the pro-government Yemeni forces over the past couple of months have yet to make comment on the situation.
The Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which mostly operates in eastern and southern provinces, has been responsible for many high-profile attacks against security forces in the country.
The provinces of Abyan and Shabwa, former main strongholds of AQAP, have also witnessed sporadic attacks or heavy clashes between UAE-backed security forces and al-Qaida militants from time to time.
The AQAP has exploited years of deadly conflicts between Yemen's government and Houthi rebels to expand its presence, especially in the southern and southeastern provinces.
