The official says the ambush took place Saturday in the town of Jaar in Abyan province.

He says the assailants fled after the attack, which the official blamed on Al-Qaeda militants.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Yemen's weak central government has struggled with a growing Al-Qaeda threat. The militants are increasing their operations in the impoverished and largely lawless country on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.

U.S officials worry Al-Qaeda's Yemeni offshoot could be plotting attacks against American and other Western targets.