Several guards were killed in the shooting during the attack on the prison located in the port city of Al-Mukalla, according to media reports. A local branch of the Yemeni central bank was attacked as well.
Earlier in the day, a local source told Sputnik Arabic that members of the al-Qaeda terrorist group were conducting a major offensive in Al-Mukalla.
The security situation in Yemen has deteriorated in the past several weeks as the country is split among opposition Houthi fighters battling troops loyal to President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in the center of the country, and al-Qaeda militants gaining a foothold in the south.
Currently, a Saudi Arabia-led coalition is conducting airstrikes against Houthi group in Yemen. The coalition operation was launched on March 25 at the request of Hadi.
