ADEN, Yemen, June 1 (Xinhua) -- At least two Yemeni soldiers were killed on Saturday during an attack launched by suspected al-Qaida gunmen in Yemen's southeastern province of Hadramout, a security official told Xinhua.

The local official based in the province said on condition of anonymity that a group of gunmen believed to be members of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch attacked a military post in Hadramout's Valley.

He confirmed that the armed attack killed at least two newly-recruited soldiers and injured a number of others at the scene.

The source pointed out that the gunmen clashed with the soldiers stationed at the military post for several minutes, and then managed to escape.

Local media reports indicated that a terrorist attack targeted a military post of the 23rd Armored Brigade in Hadramout's Valley, killing and injuring a number of soldiers in the area.

Various areas in the government-controlled province of Hadramout witnessed sporadic attacks by terrorist elements during the past months.

Militant groups such as the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch and the Islamic State (IS) group have active presence in the country's southern and eastern areas, taking advantage of the bloody conflict raging in the impoverished Arab country since 2015.