Sanaa, Aug 7 (IANS): Yemen's government army said that it has launched a major military operation targeting hideouts ofAl Qaeda terrorists in the country's southern province of Abyan.

The operation's primary focus is on the province's Mudiyah district, where numerous Al Qaeda terrorists have sought refuge in distant valleys and mountainous terrain, Xinhua news agency quoted the government army as saying in an official statement.

The large-scale anti-terror operation has already led to the capture of a mid-level Al Qaeda commander named Abu al-Qaqa, it added.

"The government troops have successfully taken up positions at the entrance to the Wadi Omran area and in villages that have seen terrorist attacks on security forces blamed on the Al Qaeda," a military official told Xinhuaty.

The military campaign comes as Yemen continues to grapple with violence and instability stemming from a years-long civil war between Houthi rebels and the internationally recognised government.

On August 5, two soldiers of Yemen's government forces were killed and six others injured when a roadside bomb ripped through their vehicle near the entrance of the Mudiyah district.

Abyan and other neighboring southern provinces have seen an increase in violence between Yemeni government forces and Al Qaeda militants in recent months.