5 killed near Yemen presidential palace by suspected al-Qaeda militants

Suspected Al-Qaeda fighters attacked a checkpoint near the Yemen presidential palace, killing five guards while abducting others amid a fierce gun battle against army forces, according to a security source. At least three of the supposed militants were killed, other security sources and witnesses said, AFP reported Friday. At the time of the assault, President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi was not in the palace, which is 700 meters (yards) away from the attacked checkpoint. Defense Minister Mohamed Nasser Ahmad and two top security officers escaped unharmed when the gunmen fired on their convoy. Ahmad recently vowed to intensify attacks against Al-Qaeda forces in Yemen.