Members of Ansar al-Sharia launched the raid near Lawdar, a town in Abyan province about 120km (75 miles) north-west of the port city of Aden, at dawn.
BBC: Yemen unrest: Deadly attack on southern army base
2.
Soldiers inside returned fire with small arms and artillery, and the fighting continued for about three hours before the militants were forced to retreat, one Lawdar resident said.
BBC: Yemen unrest: Deadly attack on southern army base