A security official and the Yemeni news agency, Saba, said that at least two soldiers were killed and four others were wounded, in an attack by gunmen believed to be linked to al-Qaeda, on a convoy of the International Organization for Migration mission in eastern Yemen.
The official told Reuters that the international mission’s convoy, which was carrying foreigners, was attacked on Friday evening by gunmen aboard 4 cars in the remote Al-Ruwaik area between the governorates of Hadramout and Ma’rib.
The official said that preliminary information indicated that at least two soldiers were killed and four others were wounded from the security force accompanying the international mission, which was on its way to the Marib governorate from Seiyun, Hadramout.
He explained that an armed group likely to belong to al-Qaeda ambushed the mission and intercepted its way, apparently trying to kidnap the employees, but the attempt failed, and the mission included 6 people, including Yemenis and Ethiopians.
The official confirmed that the international organization team had not been harmed, and stated that al-Qaeda elements were active from time to time in the area.
The Yemeni news agency “Saba” quoted the commander of the first military region, Major General Saleh Timis, as saying that one of the attackers’ cars had been seized.
Extremist groups are active among many armed factions in Yemen, which is suffering from the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the United Nations.
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