SANAA

An al-Qaeda-linked group has claimed two deadly attacks that targeted army troops in the southern Yemeni province of Hadhramaut over the past three days.

The self-styled Ansar al-Sharia group, on Twitter, claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that hit a military checkpoint in Brom Mayfa district in Hadhramaut on Thursday, leaving 20 troops dead and 17 others injured.

The group also said it was behind an explosion that targeted a military patrol in Shibam town on Saturday, leaving two soldiers dead and four others dead.

The attacks, the group said, came over the army's alignment with the Shiite Houthi militant group, which currently controls the capital Sanaa following weeks of massive protests.

Yemen has been dogged by turmoil since pro-democracy protests forced autocratic president Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down in 2012 after 33 years in power.

In recent months, scores of security personnel have been killed in attacks across the country that officials blame on Al-Qaeda-linked militants.

www.aa.com.tr/en