Yemeni military forces launched an air raid Sunday on suspected hideouts of al-Qaida militants in the southern restive province of Abyan, provincial security sources and eyewitnesses said.

According to the security sources, the air raid targeted a hideout believed to be a camp for al-Qaida militant groups.

Eyewitnesses said they heard sounds of plane shelling al-Qashabir area at Modia district in Abyan.

Sources there rushed to the area as they expected that several people might be killed and injured.

The Yemeni Defense Ministry said in a statement that two of al-Qaida militants were killed in the airstrike and several others injured.

Security source at the Interior Ministry told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that an anti-terror unit has been dispatched to the area to carry out DNA tests to identify the dead militants.