Yemeni army shelling kills more than 20 militants

Residents of a town in southern Yemen overrun by radical Islamists say government shelling has killed more than 20 militants in the past two days.

Walid al-Hawshadi said Tuesday he saw a militants driving the bodies out of Jaar for burial. Other residents gave similar accounts.

More than five months of mass protests seeking to oust longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh have shaken security across Yemen. Radical groups linked to al-Qaida have overrun at least two towns in the country's south and government forces have been trying to force them out.

The US fears al-Qaida and other radical groups could exploit chaos in Yemen to step up operations.