At least eight people were killed on Sunday when militants attacked three army outposts in southern Yemen.
Cars packed with bombs approached the bases but detonated before reaching their intended targets in Abyan Province. The explosions and ensuing shootout killed soldiers and attackers.
Yemen has been fighting militant attacks on multiple fronts in recent months, including an assault on another southern military post in June.
Media reports offered conflicting numbers of fatalities in Sunday's clash. Yemeni officials said the majority appear to be members of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
In late April, the army launched a ground offensive against al-Qaida in Abyan, which AQAP declared an "Islamic Emirate" in 2011.
At least 500 al-Qaida fighters and 40 soldiers have been killed in the government's campaign to reclaim territory under effective AQAP control.
Fourteen soldiers were killed last month when suspected al-Qaida militants attacked a military checkpoint in the neighboring province of Shabwa.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Retuers.