Aden — Militants affiliated with Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) launched a coordinated attack late Friday on positions held by southern government forces in Yemen’s Abyan province, resulting in casualties on both sides.

The assault targeted units of the 6th Support and Reinforcement Brigade stationed in Wadi Omran, east of Mudiyah district. According to military sources, the attackers employed a drone—believed to have been supplied by Houthi forces—alongside a ground offensive.

One soldier was killed and several others wounded in the initial strike. Southern forces responded swiftly, engaging the militants in fierce clashes that left multiple AQAP fighters dead or injured. The remaining attackers retreated into surrounding mountainous terrain.

Security officials confirmed that pursuit operations are underway to track down the fleeing militants. The attack comes days after the arrest of senior AQAP operatives in neighboring Shabwa province, raising concerns about retaliatory violence.

AQAP has intensified its operations in southern Yemen in recent months, despite losing key strongholds in Abyan and Shabwa to counterterrorism campaigns led by southern forces.