Clash Between Militants and Yemen Troops Kills 3

SAN'A, Yemen -- A Yemeni security official says militants have attacked a military checkpoint in the country's south. He says the ensuing firefight killed one of the attackers and two soldiers.
The official says the assault took place on Wednesday in the town of Jaar in the southern Abyan province.

The official blamed the attack on Al Qaeda militants. He says clashes are continuing between militants and security forces in the area and that he expects casualties.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the media.
Yemen's weak central government is struggling with a growing threat from Al Qaeda, which has stepped up attacks in the impoverished and largely lawless country.