A huge blast was heard in Yemen' southern port city of Aden Thursday night followed by heavy gunshots between the security forces and armed men believed to be al-Qaida militants, witnesses and officials told Xinhua.
The blast rocked Aden after suspected al-Qaida militants hurled two grenades at the judicial complex in al-Mualla district, local resident Amgad Nabil told Xinhua.
Residential buildings nearby were rocked followed by power outage amid heavy shootings, Nabil said, adding that there was not yet any information about casualties.
A local security official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that the al-Qaida militants controlling the Zinjibar city of Abyan province had already infiltrated into Aden and began to carry out attacks against some government buildings in an attempt to provoke fear among local residents and take control of the key port.
Leaflets were distributed in different regions of Aden province during the past two days, calling on citizens to engage in the struggle against the "infidels".
A number of Yemen's southern and eastern provinces experienced during the past two months an active and wide presence of the al- Qaida, which was exploiting the precarious situation of the country.