Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- Four Yemeni soldiers were killed and three others wounded Wednesday in ongoing clashes between the country's military and suspected al Qaeda militants in southern Yemen, the military said.
Yemen has launched a wide-scale offensive against al Qaeda in the region.
A government official said Tuesday the offensive in Shabwa province was in response to a militant attack last week on a pipeline carrying liquefied natural gas. The official described the multibillion-dollar pipeline as a "lifeline of the region".
The official asked for anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
A senior U.S. defense official said the U.S. military has been providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance help during the offensive but stressed that Yemeni forces were primarily responsible for its planning and execution.
CNN
