Suspected Al-Qaeda Militants kill Four Soldiers in Hadramout

By Fatik Al-Rodaini

Hadramout, Mar 11, 2011- At least four soldiers were killed in an attack, believed to be by suspected Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen's southern province of Hadramout.

Sources told the Yemen 24 News that Al-Qaeda militants attacked a patrol vehicle in Dowen valley killing at least four soldiers and wounding others. No more details were reported.

Analysts said that Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, AQAP, has been increased its attacks against Yemen's forces since the rise of protests in which the country nowadays faces.

Around 30 people have been killed since the protests began late January.

The Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has a strong presence in southern Yemen as a series of terrorist attacks against security and army forces took place in the country's southern and eastern provinces since 2009.

A recent statistic by the Interior Ministry late last year showed that a total of 178 security force members were killed in 2010, mostly in combats against Al-Qaeda militants, and another 852 were injured.

The ministry last December said it planned to establish four counter-terrorism units in different provinces, including Hadramout, to curb the activities of resurgent Al-Qaeda wing.

Source: Yemen 24 News