SANAA: Suspected Al-Qaeda militants have captured a town in southwest Yemen in a deadly attack seen as a counter move to advances by Shiite rebels sweeping across the strife-hit country.

Rival groups are seeking to exploit a power vacuum in impoverished Yemen, which has been in a political deadlock since the Houthi Shiite rebels took control of the capital Sanaa last month.

Al-Qaeda’s Yemen-based franchise, considered by the United States to be the deadliest branch of the extremist network, has vowed to fight the rebels in defense of Sunnis.

Its militants stormed the town of Udain overnight, setting fire to the police headquarters and attacking the offices of the local government, a security official and local sources said Thursday.

Five policemen were reported dead.

The offensive came just hours after Shiite rebels overran the provincial capital of Ibb located 20 km to the east.

Already in control of Sanaa and the strategic port city of Hudeida, the Shiite rebels on Wednesday appeared to have taken control of the Dhamar and Ibb provinces, security officials said.

Just as in Sanaa and Hudeida, the Houthis faced no opposition as they entered the centers of the two provinces and set up checkpoints, the officials said.

They have been taking advantage of the political crisis in Sanaa to seize control of significant areas, threatening the authority of the Sunni-led central government.