SHABWA, March 7 — Unidentified men believed to have links with Al-Qaeda attacked a military vehicle in the Nusab district of Shabwa governorate on Tuesday.

The armed men fired a rocket propelled grenade at the vehicle, killing one soldier and wounded four others. One is in critical condition and has been moved to Sana’a for medical treatment. The three other wounded were admitted to Attaq Hospital in Shabwa a source close to the hospital said.

Soldiers later clashed with the armed men injuring two of the armed militants.

A local source in Shabwa said that armed men driving a Toyota vehicle had been taking a tour around Nusab district for days. Locals had reported the suspicious activity to the military commander in the area, Colonel Mohammad Al-Jumaee, but “he paid no attention.”

The anonymous source accused Al-Jumaee of being “busy doing business” at the expense of the area’s security. Other citizens who spoke with the Yemen Times said that insecurity is growing within the governorate. The car which targeted the soldiers had been able to move freely in the area after being reported to the police.

The Secretary General of Shabwa’s local authority, Abd Rabo Hashla, confirmed to the Yemen Times the death of one soldier and the injuring of four others, one having been admitted for medical treatment in Sana’a. He said that the attack carried the marks of Al-Qaeda, but that this had not yet been verified.