SANAA, Yemen (AP) — An eyewitness and military officials say an explosion ripped through a Yemeni military vehicle in the south killing five soldiers, while four civilians were killed in the ensuing firefight.
Local resident Ali Dahmas said Wednesday that after the explosion, the panicked surviving soldiers opened fire, killing at least four people and wounding over 20.
The incident occurred in a market close to the southern Yemeni town of Zinjibar, in a province known as a stronghold for Muslim militants, including al-Qaida.
Yemen is home to one of the most active branches al-Qaida, but military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press, said they weren’t sure who the assailants were.
