At least six soldiers of Yemen's government forces were killed in an attack carried out by al-Qaeda militants in the turbulent southern province of Abyan on Tuesday, a military official said.

"At dawn, units of the government forces, stationed in Wadi Omran and Mudiyah districts of Abyan province, were hit by a large-scale attack by al-Qaeda gunmen approaching from multiple directions," said the official who asked to remain anonymous.

The assault continued for several hours, killing six soldiers and injuring five others, he said, adding that a number of al-Qaeda militants were also reportedly killed during the confrontation.

He noted that the attack took place amidst a surge in al-Qaeda actions across key regions in Abyan over the past several weeks.

Local residents reported the arrival of militants from neighboring provinces of Shabwa and Al-Bayda, where the terrorist group maintains strongholds.

The military escalation highlights the persistent security threats posed by al-Qaeda's Yemeni faction, referred to as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
With peace talks stalled, the conflict between Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government backed by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition shows no signs of abating.

The civil war and power vacuum in Yemen have allowed AQAP and other extremist groups to flourish, posing a severe security threat within Yemen's borders and beyond.