Armed tribesmen kill six soldiers in Yemen

At least six army soldiers were killed when armed tribesmen launched an attack Wednesday on a military unit protecting an oil field in Yemen's southeastern province of Hadramout, an official said.

"The soldiers and tribesmen exchanged heavy gunfire in the oil firm protection unit near Ghayl Bawazir region in Hadramout. Up to six soldiers were killed," the government official was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

The armed tribesmen clashed with army soldiers near Yemen's Masila oil field in Hadramout province.

A tribal chief said that "about 20 French soldiers arrived in Hadramout to protect Total-run oil block 10".

Armed tribesmen have frequently attacked oil pipelines since 2011 to press the government to free their relatives from prison or provide their tribes with jobs.

Oil revenues support more than 70 percent of Yemen's state budget, while oil and gas products account for over 90 percent of the nation's exports.