Yemeni pro-government forces ride military vehicles, as they head to Zinjibar to launch an offensive against al-Qaeda on August 14, 2016.

:: Six soldiers of a new anti-militant force formed by the United Arab Emirates were killed and others were abducted Wednesday in an al-Qaeda suicide bombing in southern Yemen, a Yemeni military official said.

The suicide bomber blew up his vehicle next to a military position recently set up by the Yemeni force in Shabwa province, the official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Two vehicles belonging to the force were destroyed in the attack, which left an undetermined number wounded while other soldiers were abducted by al-Qaeda members supporting the suicide bomber, he added.

The official said the victims belong to an “elite unit” set up by the United Arab Emirates. Al-Qaeda militants remain active in southern Yemen where they have exploited the security gap created by the conflict between Hadi’s supporters and the Houthi militias.

The conflict in Yemen pits Houthi militias and supporters of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh against forces loyal to the internationally recognized president Hadi.

The war has killed more than 8,000 people, mostly civilians, and wounded 44,500 since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened against the rebels it says are supported by regional arch-rival Iran.