3 policemen killed by gunmen in southern Yemen

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ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least three policemen were killed Friday morning in an attack by unidentified gunmen on a security checkpoint in Yemen's southern port city of Aden, a police officer told Xinhua.

Masked attackers believed to be linked to al-Qaida attacked with automatic weapons a checkpoint of the security forces positioned in al-Mansoura district, killing at least three policemen, the police officer said on condition of anonymity.

"The security checkpoint located in an important area near the Aden Free Zone was rained with a barrage of gunshots by terrorists from various directions," the officer said.

Witnesses told Xinhua that a police vehicle was intentionally set on fire by the gunmen before they fled.

A series of such attacks against security and intelligence officials have taken place in Aden over the past eight months.

Clashes between the police forces and gunmen were heard elsewhere in Aden earlier in the day, but no casualty were reported, according to local residents.

Taking advantage of Yemen's unrest to bolster their presence in the country's southern and eastern regions, militants of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have been launching sporadic shoot- outs and motorbike attacks on security and intelligence officials during the past several months.


from XINHUA

Posted in: ADEN, al-Mansoura, Al-Qaeda, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen