Aden (Yemen), Jan 20 (IANS): Three soldiers of the government forces were killed and three others injured in a bomb attack in Yemen's southern Abyan province, a military official told the media.

The attack occurred on Friday when an explosive device detonated near a military patrol in the Wadi Omyran area of the Mudiyah district in eastern Abyan, the local military source said on condition of anonymity.

He confirmed that the powerful blast destroyed the patrol vehicle and killed three soldiers instantly and injured three others, Xinhua news agency reported.

The source said al-Qaeda militants were likely behind the bombing, as they had previously planted explosive devices targeting security forces in Mudiyah and elsewhere in Abyan.

Joint military forces comprised of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and government troops have been conducting operations against al-Qaeda in various parts of Abyan since late 2022. However, the extremist group still maintains an active presence in remote areas of the province.

Yemen has witnessed an uptick in attacks by al-Qaeda and other militant groups in recent years, as they have exploited the ongoing conflict between the Houthi group and the government forces that have been going on for nearly a decade.