Gunmen most likely affiliated with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) shot and killed 12 Yemeni soldiers and one civilian at a checkpoint on Thursday, AFP reports.
The Yemeni army is fighting militants associated with AQAP in a major offensive that aims to purge jihadists from the country. The army has attempted to recruit tribal members but has had limited success in controlling the countryside, according to AFP.
AQAP has taken advantage of Yemen’s political and economic instability and is deeply entrenched in Hadramawt province in the east. The terrorist group, known by many analysts to be the most deadly branch of al-Qaeda, has carried out numerous attacks throughout Yemen.
