Four soldiers killed as gunmen attacked Yemen's presidential palace

Four soldiers were killed in a gun battle in the Yemeni capital Sanaa when armed men believed to be linked to al-Qa'ida attacked the presidential palace. It was unclear how many of the attackers died.

The attack, and an unsuccessful attempt at assassinating the defence minister in Shabwa province, was interpreted as retaliation for a drive by the army to push insurgents out of strongholds in the south of the country.

Separately, security forces revealed they have arrested two French citizens of Tunisian origin believed to be members of an al-Qa'ida cell in Yemen.