Clashes with al-Qa'ida-linked group kill 33 in Yemen

At least 33 people were killed yesterday when fighters from a group linked to al-Qa'ida attacked a military camp near the southern Yemen city of Lawdar.

The fighters from Ansar al-Sharia attacked the camp in Abyan province, about 75 miles from Aden.

The group seized a significant amount of territory in Abyan during the turmoil that led to the replacement of President Ali Abdullah Saleh by his deputy, a deal that Washington hopes will stop al-Qa'ida getting a foothold near key shipping routes.

Eighteen fighters were killed in yesterday's clash with the army and five when warplanes bombed a checkpoint they were holding, officials and residents said. Nine soldiers and one tribesman fighting alongside them were also killed.

REUTERS