At least 16 troops were killed when al Qaida militants launched a major attack in southern Yemen, targeting army, security and government buildings, officials have said.

They said the attack struck an army headquarters, the central security headquarters, the Central Bank, the traffic police department, the post office and the agricultural bank in Sayoun, a city in southern Hadramawt province.

The officials said the attackers, however, failed to storm the army command and the security headquarters due to the fierce resistance put up by the government troops. They said the militants used car bombs at the beginning of the assault.

The attack is reported to have been led by Jalal Baliedy, a prominent al Qaida chief.