At least 23 al-Qaeda militants have been killed in fierce clashes in south Yemen, officials said today.
The defence ministry said fighting between government troops, backed by heavy artillery, and the militants intensified overnight in the northern part of Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan.
The ministry said Pakistani and Somali nationals were among the dead militants.
Military officials said clashes also erupted in the town of Jaar, another al-Qaeda stronghold.
Yesterday, two suicide bombers tried to hit army barracks and checkpoints to the east of Zinjibar in an attempt to stop the military from advancing in the south.
AP
