Yemen Troops Kill 15 Qaida Gunmen at Gas Pipeline
Yemeni forces killed 15 al-Qaida fighters in a clash at a control station in Shabwa province on the country's only gas export pipeline, a military official and a witness said on Friday.
The clash took place during Thursday night when the militants attacked Station Nine on the pipeline in the eastern province, where the jihadist network remains active, the military official said.
The gunfight between the militants and troops at a newly established guardpost lasted three hours, he said, adding that several gunmen were killed.
A witness in the Shabwa city of Azzan, which is a major al-Qaida stronghold, said the 15 bodies of militants were taken to the city's hospital along with seven wounded fighters.
The pipeline which transports gas from Marib province, east of Sanaa, to the Balhaf export terminal on the Gulf of Aden, has been repeatedly targeted by the militants.
No damage to the pipeline was reported from the latest exchange.
Source: Agence France Presse
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