Eleven Yemeni soldiers and 39 suspected Islamist militants were killed in some of the worst violence to grip the volatile south since mass protests began in January against President Ali Abdullah Saleh, residents and officials said.
A security official said on Wednesday the clashes broke out late on Tuesday when militants attacked troops stationed near Zinjibar, the capital of the volatile Abyan province, where militants, emboldened by months of upheaval, have seized at least three towns since March. Warplanes targeting the attackers bombed the area and residents of the town of Jaar, some 15 km away, said the sky was lit up by the raid.
Meanwhile, one army unit managed to force gunmen from a stronghold in the Maysameer district west of Zinjibar, a security official told Reuters. "The militants withdrew, leaving behind weapons and materials they had previously looted from the army," he said.
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