Government troops shelled al-Qaida militants in Abyan and managed to foil their attack against an army base west of the terrorists' stronghold at Abyan's second largest town of Jaar, leaving at least 49 terrorists killed and dozens of others injured, the local military official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Fierce fighting lasted for several hours after the al-Qaida attack, the official said, adding that air force planes had bombed militant positions in the mountain regions in Jaar town, where smoke could be seen rising.
Shelling on Jaar began Wednesday night and was intensified on Thursday afternoon, residents said.
In recent weeks, the Yemeni armed forces, with the support of U. S. military advisers, have attacked several bastions of the Yemen- based al-Qaida branch in Abyan province.
Hundreds of al-Qaida militants have built up main strongholds in the mountains in Abyan and Shabwa provinces since last year.
Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, who took office in February, pledged that large-scale attacks would continue to strike al-Qaida bastions "until we have eradicated their presence in every village."
Government troops fighting al-Qaida militants have gained ground in current battles and advanced towards al-Qaida strongholds in Abyan, the Yemeni military said.
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