Five Yemeni soldiers, girl, killed in clashes with Qaeda

Five Yemeni soldiers and a girl were killed on Tuesday in clashes with alleged Al-Qaeda gunmen on the outskirts of the restive southern city of Zinjibar, military and local officials said.

The five soldiers, including an officer, were killed in fighting with members of the Al-Qaeda-linked Partisans of Sharia, the military source said.

A local official claimed that nine members of the Islamist group were killed Tuesday in bombing by the army that targeted a house in which they were hiding, in the suburbs of Zinjibar.

AFP could not verify the toll with medical sources.

The local official said a girl, aged 16, was killed in the bombing.

Zinjibar is the capital of the southern Abyan province, a stronghold of Al-Qaeda, and has been the scene of frequent fighting between troops and Islamist militants since May.

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