ADEN, Yemen - Dozens of al-Qaida militants launched an armed attack on Tuesday at units of the Yemeni army forces, killing at least five soldiers and injuring three others in the restive southern province of Abyan, local army officers said.

The terrorist group members attacked the army units, which were trying to make progress on the western outskirts of the al-Qaida- seized city of Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan, killing at least five soldiers and injuring three others, the officer told Xinhua, who asked to remain anonymous.

The army units stationed few days ago in the al-Kud area in western Zinjibar city faced a fierce attack by the al-Qaida militants with automatic weapons, he said, adding that violent clashes took place following the attack.

Armored brigades of the Yemeni army forces were trying for about a week to make advancement towards Zinjibar from various directions and entrances, according to senior army officials.

A source of the army units said that "we were moving slowly in the region for fear of al-Qaida suicide attacks and booby-trapping the roads linking to Zinjibar."

Abyan, some 480 km south of the capital Sanaa, has become almost under control of resurgent al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) since the militants seized Abayns's provincial capital city of Zinjibar along with a number of surrounding cities late in May.