ADEN, Yemen, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Yemeni soldier and three al-Qaeda militants were killed Wednesday during a military operation in the southern province of Abyan, a spokesperson for pro-government forces told Xinhua.

Military units launched a deployment campaign in the Mudiyah district to track down al-Qaeda elements, said Mohammed Naqeeb, spokesperson for forces allied with Yemen's internationally-recognized government.

"One soldier was killed, another wounded, and three terrorists eliminated," Naqeeb said, adding that several militants were injured.

Abyan has been a focal point of counter-terrorism operations since late 2022, with troops from the Southern Transitional Council and government security forces working to dismantle al-Qaeda's presence in the region.

The extremist group retains cells in remote areas of southern Yemen and frequently targets security forces with improvised explosive devices, officials say.

Yemen's civil war, which erupted in 2014 when Houthi rebels seized the capital Sanaa, has allowed al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to exploit the chaos. The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands and left millions near famine, according to UN estimates. Enditem

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