2 soldiers killed in roadside bomb‏‏

A roadside bomb exploded next to a military ambulance in Yemen's southern province of Abyan on Friday، killing two soldiers and wounding three others، a security official told Xinhua.

The local official، who requested anonymity، stated that the ambulance was attacked by the homemade device when it was carrying Yemeni government forces soldiers who had been hurt in sporadic clashes with al-Qaida terrorists.

According to the official، the explosive device was pre-planted on the side of the road in the Mudiyah neighbourhood where the ambulance would be passing.

This is the most recent in a string of recent roadside bombings in Abyan. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)، which has a stronghold in Yemen، was accused by Yemeni officials of carrying out the attacks.

AQAP is seen as one of the most dangerous branches of al-Qaida and has been active in Yemen for years. The group has taken advantage of Yemen's  war and the resulting power vacuum to launch attacks on military and government targets.ش