More than 40 dead in south Yemen violence

July 30, 2011

More than 40 dead in south Yemen violence Aden: At least 42 people have died in violence near Yemen's southern city of Zinjibar, most of which has fallen under the control of suspected al Qaeda militants, military and local sources said on Saturday.

Eleven people including top officers were killed in fierce clashes between the army and militants in Dofas, a village 15 kilometres south of Abyan's provincial capital of Zinjibar, they said.

"Al Qaeda elements stationed in Dofas attacked army units there using machine-guns on Friday, killing two officers and four soldiers, and wounding nine others," said a military official in the village.

Medics at a military hospital in the southern port city of Aden confirmed the casualty toll.

A local official in Dofas said five members of the Islamist network were also killed and four wounded in the attack.

Also yesterday, an air raid and clashes with militants left 29 tribesmen killed and dozens wounded in eastern Zinjibar, tribal sources said, adding that several others went missing.

Twelve of the tribesmen were killed and 20 others wounded in clashes with the militants, a top security official in the area said.