17 al-Qaeda-linked militants, 3 soldiers killed in Yemen

SANAA, Yemen - A military official says 17 al-Qaida-linked militants and three army soldiers have been killed in fighting in southern Yemen.

The official says the clashes took place in Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province. The city is a bastion of radical Islamist groups and among several southern towns overrun by militants during months of ongoing political turmoil in Yemen.

The military official said Sunday the 14 militants and three soldiers were killed in a gunbattle after an ambush on two military outposts in the nearby area of Dufas.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with army rules, said the fighting took place over the past 24 hours.

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  Soldiers stand guard as they provide security for anti-government protesters demanding the resignation of Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Aug. 12, 2011. (AP / Hani Mohammed)

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  Yemeni soldiers search a car at a checkpoint along a road leading to an area where anti-government protesters demonstrate, calling for the resignation of Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011. (AP / Hani Mohammed)