Sana’a: Suspected Al Qaida militants stormed two south Yemen security buildings on Wednesday, killing at least five people and injuring 10 others, official sources said.
Two of the gunmen, who took part in the coordinated attacks in the city of Abyan, were killed and seven others were arrested, security officials have said.
About 20 attackers rode in two cars and several motorcycles into the police headquarters and the office of an intelligence agency early Wednesday morning.
The gunmen proceeded to open fire and hurl grenades as officers gathered for a roll call.
“A large number of gunmen attacked the Political Security and the General Security [police] offices at the beginning of the workday,” a police source said.
“Security guards fired on them, and there are dead and wounded on the scene,” he added.
“It is believed that the attackers were members of Al Qaida.”
Sniper attack
The gunmen also launched a sniper attack from an empty nearby school, the defence ministry website stated.
The website said that the militants’ car, loaded with explosive belts and sniper rifles, was seized by authorities. Five soldiers were among the injured in the 8am assault.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers fled towards Ja’ar, a mountainous area in Abyan and suspected Al Qaida hideout. They reported seeing five bodies on the street.
The attacks came on the heels of a government crackdown on militants which resulted in the arrests of dozens accused of assassinating at least two high-ranking intelligence officers in Abyan.
The assault was the second by suspected Al Qaida gunmen on Yemen security offices in less than a month.
In June, Al Qaida attackers raided the regional headquarters of the Political Security office in the southern port city of Aden, killing 11 people.
With additional inputs from Reuters
