Yemen's military says fighting kills 4 troops and 13 suspected al-Qaida branch fighters

SANAA, Yemen – Military officials in Yemen say clashes between the army and al-Qaida's local branch there have killed at least 13 suspected militants and four troops.

The officials said the fighting early Saturday started when a suicide car bomber attacked a military camp in the city of al-Qatn in the southern province of Hadramawt.

They said militants then assaulted the camp, prompting a gunbattle that lasted for more than an hour that killed 10 suspected militants and four troops. The officials said the army also fired artillery at a nearby home believed to hide al-Qaida fighters, killing three suspected militants inside.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

The U.S. considers Yemen's al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula the most dangerous branch of the group.