Two separate attacks have killed nine Yemeni soldiers in the war-ravaged country, the military said.

Unidentified gunmen attacked a military vehicle east of Zinjibar, the provincial capital of the southern Abyan province, killing three soldiers, the army-run Presidential Protection Brigades statement added.

Two other soldiers were kidnapped and killed by the attackers, it added. Four soldiers have also been killed in a separate attack at a security checkpoint in Ataq, the capital of Shabwa province in southwestern Yemen.

Five other Yemeni soldiers were injured while no group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Separately, an official speaking on condition of anonymity said three militants also were killed in the gunfight.

The attackers have targeted the Southern Transitional Council, which enjoys close ties to the United Arab Emirates and controls much of Yemen’s southern region.

The officials said reinforcements were sent to the strategic city, a gateway to oil fields and desert approaches to the Saudi border, the officials said, adding that Al Qaeda militants operate in the area and are suspected to be behind the attack.