Yemen: Clashes between al-Qaeda militants and soldiers in Jaar city
At least 22 al-Qaeda-linked militants and 12 Yemeni soldiers were killed in clashes and air strikes overnight during a U.S.-backed offensive against insurgents in the south of the country, officials said on Saturday.
Fighting erupted late on Friday and carried on into Saturday on the outskirts of the southern city of Jaar, held by Islamist militants who have stepped up their campaign during months of political turmoil.
Government troops, backed by U.S. drone strikes, have been trying to push the insurgents out of strongholds in the country’s south, which lies near oil shipping routes through the Red Sea.