Aden (Yemen), Jan 19 : A military officer and three soldiers from Yemen's government forces were killed by a roadside bomb in the country's southern turbulent province of Abyan, a government official said. The bomb, which was planted by al-Qaida terrorists, detonated near a vehicle in the Mudiyah district of Abyan, killing a military officer, three soldiers and wounding two others onboard, the local government official said on condition of anonymity on Wednesday. The government soldiers were carrying out an operation to hunt down al-Qaida militants in a rugged area, the official added. In November 2022, military units of the Southern Transitional Council, which is a part of the Yemeni government, announced they were launching "a qualitative anti-terror operation and succeeded in raiding a key hideout of al-Qaida in Abyan". Al-Qaida militants hiding out in rocky terrains and mountainous areas of Abyan and other neighbouring provinces frequently use hit-and-run tactics against Yemeni government forces, Xinhua news agency reported. The Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula network has exploited years of deadly conflict between the Yemeni government and the Houthi militia to expand its presence in the war-ravaged Arab country. It has carried out many high-profile attacks against the security forces in the country's southern provinces. /IANS