Ambush in southeastern Yemen leaves five soldiers dead

SANAA

At least five soldiers were killed Thursday by unknown attackers in Yemen’s southeastern Shabwah province, according to a Yemeni government source.

"Unidentified gunmen toting machine guns ambushed a Yemeni army patrol at the western entrance of the city of Ataq in central Shabwah," the source, who spoke anonymously for security reasons, told Anadolu Agency.

“The attack left five Yemeni troops dead,” the source added without providing any further details.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the ambush.

In recent months, the Al-Qaeda terrorist group has exploited the ongoing conflict between Yemen’s Saudi-backed government and the Shia Houthi militia group to bolster its influence in the country’s south.

Impoverished Yemen has remained dogged by chaos and violence since 2014, when the Houthis and their allies overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa.

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains in Yemen.

Reporting by Mohamed al-Samei:Writing by Ali H. M.Abo Rezeg