124 killed in 48 hours of Yemen army-Qaeda fighting

ADEN: At least 124 people were killed in 48 hours of fighting between Yemeni troops and Al-Qaeda militants in the country's restive south, military and tribal sources said on Tuesday.

"One hundred and twenty-four people were killed in two days" of clashes around the city of Loder in Abyan province which is besieged by Al-Qaeda, said a military official.

The toll, which was confirmed by tribal sources, includes 102 Al-Qaeda militants, 14 soldiers, and eight of the tribesmen fighting alongside the army. The fighting surged after Al-Qaeda militants attacked army barracks.