By Shukri Hussein

ADEN, Yemen

A Yemeni soldier was killed and eight others were injured in a suspected al-Qaeda attack in southern Yemen on Saturday, according to a local security official.

Al-Qaeda militants attacked a security checkpoint in north of Lahij province in southern Yemen, the official said, requesting anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.

He said eight soldiers were injured, including some seriously.

Yemen fell into civil war in 2014, when Houthi rebels overran capital Sanaa and other parts of the country.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at reversing Houthi military gains and restoring the country’s Saudi-backed government.

UN-sponsored peace talks between the government and Houthis have failed to resolve the conflict, in which more than 10,000 Yemenis have been killed and another 3 million displaced, according to UN figures.