ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Unknown gunmen launched an attack against a military checkpoint in Yemen's southern province of Abyan on Wednesday, killing two soldiers, a government official told Xinhua.
The unidentified gunmen opened fire randomly and raided a military checkpoint of the government forces in Lawdar district of Abyan province, the local government source said on condition of anonymity.
The attack resulted in the killing of two soldiers and injuring four others including an officer, the source said.
Pro-government military units had been dispatched to the area to track down the perpetrators, he added.
The Yemeni official blamed members of the al-Qaida group for being behind the military checkpoint attack in Abyan.
Sporadic armed attacks are targeting the military checkpoints of the newly-recruited southern forces stationed in Abyan.
The Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) network, which mostly operates in eastern and southern provinces, has been responsible for many high-profile attacks against security forces in the country.
The AQAP has exploited years of deadly conflict between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels to expand its presence in the war-ravaged Arab country. Enditem
