Five soldiers killed in Yemen Al Qaeda attack

Five soldiers were killed in a massive attack by suspected Al Qaeda miltants against a Yemeni military base in the southeastern province of Shabwa Wednesday, a police source said.

The source told Xinhua that the gunmen attempted to invade an armoured army brigade in the troubled town of Azzan in Shabwa province, and launched coordinated attacks on other key security checkpoints positioned in the area.

He said about five guards around the army brigade including a senior military personnel were killed in the attack, while a number of others were injured.

An army officer with the Third Regional Military Command in Shabwa confirmed the attack but claimed it was repelled.

"The Al Qaeda terrorists attempted to gain access to some military sites in Azzan town. However, the army troops have successfully repelled the assailants and inflicted serious casualties on them," the officer said.

He added that the situation around the military sites in Azzan and other nearby areas remained calm and under control.

No group has claimed responsibility yet for the armed attack, but the Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) routinely claim responsibility for such attacks on the Yemeni troops.

Yemeni military officials have blamed militants of the Yemen-based Al Qaeda offshoot for a series of assassinations and armed attacks, mostly in the country's southern regions.

AQAP, which emerged in January 2009 and also known locally as Ansar al-Sharia, is considered one of the greatest threats to the Yemeni government and neighbouring oil-rich Saudi Arabia.