SANAA – Al-Qaeda militants attacked an airport in southern Yemen on Thursday and bombed its air traffic control tower, setting off clashes with Yemeni troops that left 11 people ****, security officials said.

The officials said the co-ordinated ****** on the Sayoun airport in the southern province of Hadramawt saw militants approach from three different directions early on Thursday.

An airplane carrying passengers from the capital Sanaa, which was making a transit stop in Sayoun en route to Dubai, was caught in the crossfire. One of the passengers told The Associated Press over the phone that there was ******* all around and soldiers on the runway.

The military deployed tanks and heavy *******, and eventually forced the militants out, officials said.

Medical officials said five soldiers and six militants were ****** in the gunbattle, while scores of others were *******.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media. There were no immediate details on **********.

The ****** came just hours after security forces arrested a number of suspected militants in the town of Sayoun, known for having a strong al-Qaida presence.

The Yemeni government launched a major offensive in the spring in an attempt to drive al-Qaida militants from their southern strongholds. The United States is financing most of the government operations and providing logistical support in addition to launching ***** strikes against the insurgents.

The U.S. has long considered Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula to be the most dangerous branch of the global ****** network. It has been linked to a number of failed attempts to ****** the United States.