Twenty Yemeni soldiers and three suspected al Qaeda militants died in clashes on Saturday in the town of Jabal Ras in Yemen’s western province of Hodeidah.

Twenty Yemeni soldiers and three suspected al Qaeda militants died in clashes on Saturday in the town of Jabal Ras in Yemen's western province of Hodeidah, local officials and residents said.

Saturday's clashes broke out when suspected al Qaeda militants staged an attack.

"Twenty soldiers were killed when the al-Qaeda elements attacked an administrative building from all directions and looted four police cars," said a senior security official in Hodeidah.

He added that the central authorities had not responded to requests to beef up security in the area. Residents in the area said that the clashes were still going on.

A bombing killed 33 people in the central province of al-Bayda last week.