Fifty-six Yemeni police officers and troops have been killed in three militant attacks in southern Yemen.Yemeni military and local sources said two of the attacks, which involved car bombs, were carried out in Yemens southern province of Shabwa early on Friday.
The deadliest blast took place when a bomber detonated his explosive-laden vehicle inside an army camp, killing 38 soldiers, who were in charge of security at oil fields in the region.
Also in the nearby Al-Nushaima area, another attacker blew up his bomb-laden car before reaching his target, said a military official. Ten soldiers were killed in the blast. A number of soldiers were also captured by the gunmen in the area.
Another eight police officers were also killed at Maifaa, also in Shabwa Province, after assailants targeted a special forces camp.
Military officials in Yemen blame the attacks on al-Qaeda militants operating in the Arabian Peninsula. Shabwa Province is a stronghold of the terrorist group.
Al-Qaeda loyalists have carried out a spate of deadly attacks against Yemeni security forces since dictator Ali Abdullah Salehs successor, President Hadi, came to power in February 2012.
The Friday attacks took place after a US drone assassination drone airstrike in the area hit a car and killed all the people on board.
The United States often uses its assassination drones to hit targets in Yemen. Washington claims the drones target militants, but international human rights groups say the facts on the ground indicate that civilians are frequently killed in the airstrikes.
According to the Washington-based think tank, the New America Foundation, the US killer drone attacks in Yemen almost tripled in 2012.
By Press TV
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