Yemen's army has killed 37 al-Qaeda suspects and wounded dozens on day six of a major offensive in the south of the country.
The "terrorists" were killed in the Maifaa region of Shabwa province during the ongoing operation against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)," the defence ministry said in text messages sent to journalists on Sunday.
It described the operation as an "important" one, without elaborating.
On Friday, soldiers backed by warplanes killed five suspected al-Qaeda militants in the same area.
Residents also told of "exceptionally" heavy artillery fire and air raids targeting al-Qaeda.
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State news agency Saba quoted General Ahmed al-Yafie, commander of the Third Military Region, as saying the armed forces were "unprecedentedly ready to face this terrorist organisation".
He said "the al-Qaeda elements will not escape death" and troops will fight them "until they are uprooted from Yemen which cannot be a home for terrorism".
Hours before Sunday's raid, Saba reported that reinforcements had been sent to Shabwa to "deal with al-Qaeda".
The offensive began on Tuesday with a setback for the army when al-Qaeda ambushed a convoy, killing 15 soldiers and taking 15 more prisoner, three of whom were later executed.
But it has since gathered pace, resulting in the deaths of 67 militants and more than 24 soldiers.
