3 Yemeni Soldiers, 2 Al Qaeda Linked Militants Die

SANAA, Yemen-- A Yemeni military official says fighting between the army and Al Qaeda-linked militants has killed three soldiers and two militants.

The fighting took place Monday night and Tuesday morning north and east of Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province, the official said on condition of anonymity in line with military rules.

militants have overrun swaths of territory in the area, taking advantage of the security vacuum resulting from the political unrest roiling the fragile and impoverished country.

On Tuesday, three protesters were wounded when government backers fired at a demonstration rejecting a law granting immunity to outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh, activist Ahmed Nouman said.