Two Yemeni soldiers were killed in a clash with suspected al-Qaeda militants near the southern city of Mukalla on Monday, the defense ministry said.
The clash broke out as security forces stormed a house in Fuh, on the outskirts of Mukalla, in search of al-Qaeda militants, it said on its news website, Sep26.net.
Two soldiers were killed as gunmen in the house refused to surrender, it said. Two suspected al-Qaeda militants later turned themselves in, while security forces hunted two others who escaped.
Yemen, the ancestral homeland of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, is believed to have become a regrouping ground for al-Qaeda fighters, especially in southern regions where the state presence is weak.
The country has been the scene of several attacks in past months claimed by al-Qaeda on foreign missions, tourist sites and oil installations.