Sanaa, March 8 (IANS) Three members of the Yemeni armed forces were killed in an Al Qaeda attack Saturday, a provincial police source said.

The three, belonging to the 115th Armoured Army Brigade, were killed when unidentified gunmen, believed to be from Al Qaeda, attacked their base in the district of Lowder in southern Abyan province, the police source told Xinhua.

Hours later, reinforcement army troops arrived at the site and engaged in armed confrontation with the Al Qaeda attackers, he added.

A local tribal chief confirmed the assault and said there were “victims from both sides” without specifying the number.

“The Al Qaeda attackers attacked an army base. There was a clash between them and the soldiers. Several people were either killed or injured,” the tribal source said.