SANAA, Yemen — Security officials say suspected al Qaeda gunmen have overrun a key military base in Yemen’s largest province.
A colonel who works at the base in Hadramawt province but who was not there when it came under attack on Monday says militants have taken control of the compound after a short gunbattle with soldiers.
He says the attackers are holding captive an unknown number of high-ranking officers and soldiers inside the base.
Yemeni officials say the attackers shot dead security guards at the base but have not released an exact death toll.
They say the military has sent in reinforcements and troops are now surrounding the compound.
The officials and the colonel spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Al Qaeda has staged many wide-scale attacks against the Yemeni army in the south. Earlier this month, gunmen presumed to be linked to al Qaeda assaulted security posts, killing 38 soldiers.
Washington has carried out numerous drone strikes in Yemen against suspected militants, including in Hadramawt. The U.S. says the local Yemeni branch is one of the world’s most dangerous offshoots of the al Qaeda network.