Aden (Yemen), June 1 (IANS): Two soldiers of the Yemeni government armed forces were killed and four more injured when a roadside bomb struck a military pick-up truck in Yemen's southern oil-rich province of Shabwa, a government official said.

The explosion occurred on Tuesday when the military vehicle carrying soldiers was driving along a road in the western part of Shabwa, the local government source added on condition of anonymity to Xinhua news agency.

Two soldiers were killed at the site, while the wounded ones were transported to a nearby hospital and the vehicle was partially damaged by the explosion, he said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, Xinhua news agency reported

The Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) network has been responsible for many high-profile attacks against the security forces in the country's southern provinces.

The AQAP has exploited years of deadly conflict between the Yemeni government and Houthi militia to expand its presence in the war-ravaged Arab country.