2 Yemen soldiers killed in roadside bomb blast

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2 Yemen soldiers killed in roadside bomb blast

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At least two Yemeni soldiers were killed and four injured in a roadside bomb blast in Zinjibar.

12 September,2011 01:16 am

Two Yemeni soldiers were killed and four wounded Sunday by a roadside bomb blast in southern Yemen as government forces battled for control of a key city held by Al Qaeda-linked militants for nearly four months.Yemeni government forces, backed by the US and Saudi Arabia, are confronting fighters, some with links to Yemens Al Qaeda branch, in Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province.The drive by Yemeni security forces into Zinjibar marks their first major advance on the city since May.The security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to release information to journalists, said the roadside bomb exploded in eastern Zinjibar.The militant takeover of Zinjibar has forced more than 100,000 residents to flee for safety, many seeking refuge in schools and apartments in the neighboring province of Aden.Ground battles and airstrikes have failed to dislodge militants from southern Yemen.The Defense Ministry said that a total of 230 soldiers and over 300 fighters have been killed this year in southern Yemen. An unknown number of civilians have also been killed in government-sanctioned airstrikes.