Al-Qaida suspects storm Yemeni security camp, kill 8 soldiers

Suspected al-Qaida militants stormed a security camp in Yemen's southeast province of al-Bayda late Thursday, killing at least eight soldiers and wounding dozens of others.

An official told Xinhua that al least eight security soldiers were killed in the attack and more than 20 others were injured.

He said that the attack came simultaneously with a string of other militant raids on a security checkpoint in the neighboring district of Alzahir and a military checkpoint in the neighboring town of Radda, where at least another six soldiers were wounded.

The violence comes amid Muslims' week-long celebration of the Eid al-Adha that started on Tuesday.

The attacks came two weeks after al-Qaida militants stormed a military base in the southeast province of Hadramout, killing at least 15 military personnel.

The al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) said in a statement that its attack in Hadramout targeted a joint U.S.-Yemeni security operation room used to direct drone strikes against it.

Drone strikes have increased since August after the United States temporarily closed its embassy in Sanaa due to security threats.

The Yemeni government said more than 40 suspected AQAP fighters were killed in the strikes.