SANAA - Gunmen of al-Qaida wing attacked a military checkpoint in Yemen's southern province of Abyan on Wednesday, killing at least two soldiers and wounding five others, a local security official said.

Related readings: Al-Qaida envoy killed by Russian security  Western powers, al-Qaida behind Libya's unrest: official  Al-Qaida in Iraq urges people to wage Jihad in Egypt  Egypt: Al-Qaida getting stronger

The attack took place in Abyan's provincial capital city of Zinjibar.

Abyan, some 480 km south of the capital Sanaa, is a key stronghold of resurgent al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) which has carried out frequent attacks against the Yemeni security and military personnel since 2009.

Yemen has witnessed three-month-old anti-government protests demanding an immediate end to the 33-year rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, undermining the security and stability of the country.