Four Yemeni pro-army gunmen were killed on Monday as a suicide bomber blew up an explosives-laden car at a checkpoint in the restive southern province of Abyan.

Four Yemeni pro-army gunmen were killed on Monday as a suicide bomber blew up an explosives-laden car at a checkpoint in the restive southern province of Abyan.

"Four of our men were killed when a suicide bomber detonated a car full of explosives at a checkpoint between Loder and Shaqra" in Abyan, AFP news agency quoted a military source as saying on condition of anonymity.

The militiamen from the Popular Resistance Committees are mainly armed local residents fighting alongside the Yemeni army against Al-Qaeda-linked militants.

A member of the committees told AFP that militiamen foiled a similar attempt by another suicide attacker who passed by a checkpoint held by the gunmen.
The bomber blew himself up after militiamen pointed their guns at him to shoot him. He was killed alone, according to the same source.