Suspected al-Qaida militants carried out simultaneous attacks Wednesday on a half-dozen Yemeni security and government offices in a province south of the capital Sanaa, setting off clashes that left at least 29 people dead, security officials said.

In a statement, the Interior Ministry said 14 troops and 15 assailants died in the attacks and ensuing clashes in central Baida province. Other security officials told The Associated Press that at least three civilians also were killed.

The ministry said the attackers besieged the province's security headquarters, a special forces camp, an intelligence agency office and other government offices using car bombs and gunfire. Troops fired back and thwarted the assailants' attempt to take over the offices, it said.

The security officials who spoke to AP said the targets included a government communication office and an Education Ministry administrative building. 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.

AP