Army kills 35 Qaeda men in Yemen

Yemeni troops killed 35 al-Qaeda militants in overnight battles in the restive southern Abyan province, a military official said yesterday as the army pressed ahead with a 13-day offensive to retake extremist strongholds.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said "al-Qaeda fighters launched an attack" on the army in the region of Wadi Bani that has been under militant control since last year.
The assault sparked fierce clashes that left "more than 35 militants" dead, the official said. Two soldiers were also killed in the battle.
Yemeni forces launched an offensive on May 12 to capture al-Qaeda controlled areas in Abyan.
Since the offensive began, 299 people have been killed, according to a tally compiled by AFP.