Yemen’s military and Al-Qaeda suspects who fled an army offensive in the south clashed in a district near the capital Sunday, killing six troops and three militants, security and tribal sources said.

Yemen's military and Al-Qaeda suspects who fled an army offensive in the south clashed in a district near the capital Sunday, killing six troops and three militants, security and tribal sources said.

And two overnight drone strikes targeted Al-Qaeda suspects in Wasl, a village in Arhab, 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Sanaa, tribal sources in the area said.

The United States is the only country operating drones over Yemen, but US officials rarely acknowledge the covert program.

Militants fled the drone strikes to a village in the same area, Ozer, where Yemeni troops launched a ground attack, according to the sources.

A security official said Yemeni anti-terrorism forces killed three Al-Qaeda militants and arrested four others.

The tribal sources told AFP that six members of Yemen's special forces also died in the fighting.