Yemeni army troops on Thursday dislodged al-Qaida militants from their last bastion in the southeastern province of Shabwa, Yemen's Defense Ministry said.

"The armed and security forces backed by fighters of the pro- government militiamen have entered the center of the district of Azzan in southeastern Shabwa province," the country's defense ministry said in a short message obtained by Xinhua.

A high-ranking army commander confirmed to Xinhua that engineers cleared landmines and explosives in Azzan, as forces continue to sweep the mountainous terrains in Shabwa and surrounding areas.

"Government authorities are implementing security plans to ensure that al-Qaida militants fleeing Abyan and Shabwa are unable to relocate to the neighboring province of Hadramout," the army source said, requesting anonymity.

On Wednesday, the Yemeni Military Command denied that the government is negotiating with the local tribes to end confrontations with al-Qaida militants, adding that authorities are committed to eradicating al-Qaida and its local affiliates.

On Tuesday, the Yemeni army declared it had fully recaptured a key al-Qaida stronghold in the neighboring southern province of Abyan after a two-week-long offensive against militants who have been entrenching themselves in the city for two years.

After the wide-scale military operation in the mountainous Mahfad region in Abyan, suspected members of al-Qaida fled the area, local residents said.

Hundreds of tribal fighters from the pro-government militias supported the army offensive, informing the authorities of the whereabouts of the suspected al-Qaida militants.

Militants of the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have yet to make official comments regarding the military operation against Shabwa.

The Yemeni armed forces backed by mechanized battalions, air force and special forces have killed, wounded and captured dozens of local and foreign suspected AQAP militants during the offensive that started last week.

The bodies of suspected foreign fighters from Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Somalia, Russia's Chechnya and other nations have been discovered among the dead, local authorities said.

Numerous hideouts for the manufacture of explosives, including car bombs and suicide vests, have been discovered, while vehicles, ammunition and weapons suspected of belonging to AQAP members have been seized or destroyed.

Territories in Azzan and Mahfad, two of AQAP's main strongholds, have also been recaptured by the army troops.

The AQAP, known locally as Ansar al-Sharia, emerged in January 2009. It is considered the most strategic threat to the Yemeni government and neighboring oil-rich Saudi Arabia. Endi

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