Yemeni troops backed by coalition forces recaptured an army headquarters adjoining Aden airport from suspected extremists on Wednesday (July 6th) after an assault that killed at least 10 soldiers, AFP reported.
Between 15 and 20 militants penetrated the base in Khormaksar district after detonating two car bombs in the early hours Wednesday.
"Troops and special forces have regained control of the base after pushing back the jihadists, several of whom were killed in the fighting," said base commander Gen. Nasser Sarie.
A security source told AFP that six extremists had been killed but others had managed to escape, while other media outlets reported that as many as 20 extremists had been killed.
The recapture of the headquarters came after troops exchanged rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire with the attackers throughout the morning.
The assailants, wearing military uniforms, penetrated the base after setting off one car bomb at its entrance then ramming through a second and detonating it inside, a military source said.
The army and police in Aden have been struggling to secure the city, which has come under repeated attack from the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) and al-Qaeda.
Both groups have exploited the conflict to expand their presence in the south.
