Yemeni security officials say at least two simultaneous attacks by suspected al-Qaida militants on security forces in a province south of the capital Sanaa left nine people killed, including four assailants.

The officials said Wednesday's attacks targeted security bases in the central Baida province. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Yemen, an impoverished nation in the southern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, is home to an active branch of the al-Qaida terror network. It has long suffered attacks blamed on al-Qaida militants against security, army and intelligence personnel.

The United States has been aiding the embattled Yemeni government in the fight against the militants, using drones to target al-Qaida operatives, their camps and hideouts across much of Yemen.