SANAA (Sputnik) — At least 14 dead Yemeni soldiers have been found by local residents in the southern Yemeni city of Ataq, a military source told Sputnik on Tuesday.
"The security and military forces arrived at the scene and removed the bodies of the soldiers in order to investigate the circumstances of their deaths," a military source said, adding that the al-Qaeda group is most likely behind the murder.
The security situation in Yemen has deteriorated since anti-government uprisings erupted in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring. Several insurgent groups are operating in the country, including al-Qaeda's major branch known as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the opposing Houthis, a Zaidi Shia group.
Since late March, a Saudi Arabia-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis, following a request from Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
A total of 643 people have been killed and 2,226 injured since the Yemen conflict escalated on March 19, according to the WHO.
