Yemeni forces kill 7 suspected al-Qaida militants

Seven suspected al-Qaida militants were killed in clashes with army troops in Yemen's southeastern province of Hadramout on Thursday morning, the Defense Ministry said.

"Army soldiers have killed seven gunmen belonging to al-Qaida elements in a checkpoint near the headquarters of the 1st Regional Military Command in Hadramout province after an exchange of gunfire with several attackers," the Defense Ministry said in a short text message obtained by Xinhua.

"The al-Qaida gunmen tried to take control over the military region headquarters, but the army personnel have successfully managed to defend the base and killed those terrorists," the statement said.

A Yemeni army officer and two soldiers were injured in the gunfight, a security official said.

Yemen's army later arrested four suspected al-Qaida gunmen who had participated in the attack on the military base, the local security source told Xinhua over phone on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, suspected al-Qaida gunmen launched two coordinated attacks and blew up several government offices and banks in the Qattan region of Hadramout province on Thursday, according to local residents.

On Wednesday, a Yemeni official announced that scores of al- Qaida gunmen clashed with army units of the 135th Armored Brigade near Seiyun town of Hadramout province, leaving at least 20 terrorists killed on the spot.

Since April, the Yemeni government has waged a major offensive on al-Qaida strongholds in the country's southern territories, killing scores of militants. The al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) based in Yemen has vowed to hit back.

AQAP, also known locally as Ansar al-Sharia, emerged in January 2009 and is considered one of the greatest threats to the Yemeni government and neighboring oil-rich Saudi Arabia.