230 soldiers killed in Qaeda fight | Bangkok Post: breakingnews

At least 230 Yemeni soldiers were killed in fighting with militants linked to Al-Qaeda that led to the lifting of the siege of a brigade imposed three months ago, the defence ministry said on Sunday.

``The southern military region lost more than 230 martyrs in the fighting'' to lift the siege of the 25th Mechanised Brigade's base in Zinjibar, state news agency Saba quoted Defence Minister General Mohammed Nasser Ahmed as saying.

Earlier, Saba quoted Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi as telling European diplomats that 90 soldiers at the besieged base and 30 Al-Qaeda leaders had been killed in Zinjibar since militants seized it on May 29.