Islamist gunmen killed at least 32 Yemeni soldiers yesterday when they stormed a military position in southern Yemen where militants control broad swathes of territory.
Yemen has a seen a surge in violence in the south since President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February. The government has responded with air strikes and the US has repeatedly used drones to kill militants.
Yesterday’s attack came hours after a suspected US drone strike killed two men in a neighbouring province, including one the government described as a senior member of al-Qaeda.
A military official confirmed gunmen attacked Yemeni troops outside the city of Zinjibar, capital of Abyan province, killing at least 32 servicemen. He said they captured a number of soldiers and made off with weapons and ammunition.