A military official said that four soldiers were killed Tuesday in clashes against fighters suspected to have links with al Qaeda, which the army is trying to eliminate in the city of Zanjibar, Abyan, in the south of Yemen.
A medical source said that fifteen soldiers were wounded in the battles.
The extremists group, Ansar al-Sharia, a group suspected of have ties to al Qaeda, took control on Zanjibar in May 29, taking advantage of the weakness of the central authority due to popular protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
According to eyewitnesses, militants started leaving Zanjibar today and heading towards Shabwa province, considered a stronghold of al Qaeda in southern Yemen.