Six Al Qaeda-affiliated militants and three soldiers were killed in clashes in the eastern region of Hadramout in Yemen on Monday, the defence ministry said.
With the help of foreign military backup, the Yemeni army drove Al Qaeda militants and their affiliated militant groups from southern strongholds in the restive Gulf state but insurgents have recently made a comeback, regrouping and launching regular attacks on government officials and buildings, Reuters reported.
The six militants and soldiers were killed after the insurgents launched an attack on an army checkpoint in Sayoun, Hadramout's second biggest city, the defence ministry reported on their website, according to Reuters.
Yemen's stability is currently on the rocks as southern separatists fight for their right to independence from the north, which is also witnessing a rise in rebel activity. Keeping the impoverished state out of civil war is of importance to much of the Western world due to Yemen's important geographical location in relation to oil supply routes.
Al Qaeda in the Arabia Peninsula (AQAP) is one of the most active and dangerous branches of the militant Sunni network founded by Osama Bin Laden. Yemen's Qaeda offshoot has spawned some of the most militant minds of recent years, including Anwar Al Awlaki, who was killed by a U.S. drone in 2011.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is one of the most active branches of the network founded by Osama bin Laden, and militants have launched attacks from there against the West.
