Officials say Yemen airstrikes kill 3 militants

By AHMED AL-HAJ Associated Press

09/07/2011

SANAA, Yemen—Yemeni officials say warplanes hunting down al-Qaida suspects have launched a series of airstrikes in the country's southern Abyan province that killed at least three militants.

The officials said the airstrikes Wednesday east of the provincial capital, Zinjibar, targeted a suspected al-Qaida hideout, killing three.

The officials said a senior military commander survived an ambush Tuesday west of the capital while two his guards were killed. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

Militants took control of parts of Abyan in March after the turmoil that gripped Yemen following protests demanding the resignation of longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh.