AHMED AL-HAJ
Associated Press

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemeni officials say suspected al-Qaida militants overran a security base south of the capital, Sanaa, killing three policemen before fleeing to nearby mountains.

The officials say Thursday’s attack took place in the al-Adeen area in Ebb province, nearly 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Sanaa.

They say the militants held the facility for three hours — and also robbed a local bank, though it was unclear how much money they took — before fleeing when government reinforcements arrived.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to media.

Yemen has for years endured attacks by the country’s Sunni al-Qaida branch on its army, security forces and state facilities.

It is also recently facing a Shiite uprising that has swept across Sanaa and the country’s north.

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