Yemen Kills 4 in Mistaken Airstrike

The Associated Press reports:

A Yemeni air force jet mistakenly bombed a bus in a southern city controlled by Islamic militants and suspected al-Qaida members on Wednesday, killing four people, while clashes between militants and soldiers on the ground left 23 dead on both sides.

The bombing came as part of daily government attacks on militants who last month seized Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan, security officials said. They said 12 people were also wounded in the airstrike that mistakenly hit a passenger bus.

Militants have lately taken advantage of the turmoil that has gripped Yemen since a popular uprising against President Ali Abdullah Saleh's rule began in mid-February inspired by Arab uprisings elsewhere, and have taken over several towns in the south, far from the reach of the central government in the capital, Sanaa.

Shortly after Wednesday's airstrike, militants on the ground in Zinjibar overran a football stadium on the city's outskirts and attacked government troops there, the officials said. The clashes killed 15 security troops while eight militants died when government warplanes were called in and bombed the stadium.