Dozens of al-Qaeda militants escaped from a prison in southern Yemen today after an attack on the compound, according to a security source.
One soldier was killed and two wounded in the attack on the prison in the city of al-Mukalla, the capital of the province of Hadramut.
"The militants opened fire on the prison gates and exchanged fire with the guards, injuring two and killing one," the security source said, adding 62 militants had fled the prison.
A senior US official is in the country today to hold talks with government officials.
The United States and ally Saudi Arabia fear that a power vacuum and tribal warfare in Yemen will be exploited by the local wing of al-Qaeda to launch attacks in the region and beyond.
A Yemeni government source said Jeffrey Feltman, US Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, will meet Foreign Minister Abubakr al-Qirbi and Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is acting president.
Agencies
