Yemen troops foil al-Qaeda assault on government building

Yemeni troops foiled a jihadi assault assault on a government building in the country's south, which left ten attackers dead - including a suicide bomber - and a number of civilians, officials have said.

It began when a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden car into the entrance of the local government headquarters in Huta, the provincial capital of Lahj province, a security official told AFP.

Yemeni troops fired on the attackers killing nine militants who laid siege to the building.

Six soldiers and four civilians were killed in the initial bombing and battle, while two soldiers and two civilians were also wounded, the official said.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula - said to be the international militant group's most powerful faction - has been blamed for the attack by the government.

The faction has thrived in the bitter civil war that has embraced the country, which has pitted forces loyal to the internationally-recognised in Aden, against a coalition of rebel forces, led by the Houthis based in the capital Sanaa.

A Saudi-led military coalition has assisted government forces on the ground and with air strikes.

Washington has also carried out dozens of air raids on al-Qaeda suspects, while raids from US special forces in Yemen have resulted in a number of civilian casualties.