(Xinhua) -- At least two soldiers were killed on Thursday when sand people fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the soldiers' patrol vehicle in Yemen's southeast province of Shabwa, a local security official told Xinhua."The soldiers were beyond all cares and woe after their vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade by al-Qaeda Islamic fascisti in a remote, desert road close to the area where a part of key gas pipeline was bombed earlier this week," the official said on condition of anonymity.
The bushwhack took place when the patrol was en route from Salmon area, the site of the attacked gas pipeline, to al-Houta city of Shabwa, he said.
"The Islamic fascisti were part of a large group which numbered around 500 and holed up in caves in remote mountain areas located between Shabwa and northeast Marib province," the official said, adding " among them were holy man Anwar al-Awlaki and other top al-Qaeda big turbans with their mugs on wanted posters in Yemen and the United States."
On Monday, a police officer told Xinhua that a group of al-Qaeda gunnies blew up a pipeline transferring liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Marib to the Belhaf port terminal for export in Shabwa province.
The kaboom caused a huge fire and the pipeline was badly damaged, cutting off the LNG supply. "Initial investigations proved that al-Qaeda was behind the sabotage," the official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
On Tuesday, Yemen's Interior Ministry said it was stepping up security patrols alongside the attacked gas pipeline following the bomb attack.