2 officers killed in roadside bombing in S Yemen

ADEN -- Two officers of the Yemeni government forces were killed on Saturday in a roadside bombing in the country's turbulent southern province of Abyan, a military official told Xinhua.

The local military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the explosion occurred when a military vehicle carrying the officers and soldiers was passing through a valley in the eastern part of Abyan.

The vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device that had been planted previously on the road, killing two officers from the 6th Army Brigade and injuring nine others, the source said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. However, the area has seen frequent clashes in recent months between Yemeni government forces and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

The AQAP has used such bombings as a tactic against military and government targets in its insurgency, according to the official.

Abyan province sits along Yemen's southern coastline and has been the site of ongoing fighting between the AQAP and government troops trying to root out the terrorist group.

Despite continuous counterterrorism operations, the Yemeni government has been struggling to prevent al-Qaeda factions from taking advantage of the country's ongoing civil war and power vacuum to expand, especially in the country's south.

Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognized Yemeni government. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in the conflict in support of the Yemeni government in 2015.