SANAA, Yemen (AP) —

Security officials in Yemen say gunmen have shot and killed three soldiers in a drive-by shooting and abducted four others in the country's south.

The officials said the soldiers were manning a checkpoint in the southeastern province of Hadramawt when they were attacked Saturday.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Yemen's government has been battling al-Qaida militants for some time. The local al-Qaida branch in Yemen is considered the world's most dangerous by the United States, which regularly targets suspected militants in drone strikes.

Hadramawt province has been restive since Friday following the killing of a tribal leader at a military checkpoint after authorities say they mistakenly believed him and others to be al-Qaida militants. The killing sparked widespread rioting.