Shabwa (South24) 

Three soldiers of the Southern forces were killed earlier today in an attack likely to be by AQAP on a security checkpoint in Shabwa governorate.

South24 correspondent in Shabwa reported that AQAP members attacked a checkpoint of the 6th Brigade of Shabwa Defense Forces in Usaylan area, north of the governorate. 

An illustrative map of Usaylan area in Shabwa Governorate (Google).

A military source reported that 6 AQAP members who launched the attack were killed during it. 

Since its control of Shabwa last August Shabwa Defense Forces have been subjected to many violent operations by AQAP.

The attacks came in conjunction with a series of unprecedented defeats suffered by the extremist organization in the neighboring governorate of Abyan.

During the past months, the Southern forces managed to destroy the AQAP's most prominent strongholds in Abyan during the Arrows of the East operation.

Related: Southern Forces: Abyan's «Arrows of the East» Operation is Completed