In south Yemen, at least 53 people were killed today as the army pounded the Al-Qaeda stronghold of Jaar and clashes between jihadists and troops backed by local militias raged nearby. Twenty-five Islamist militants were among the dead, 13 killed in air raids on Jaar and 12 in battles raging around Loder, another town in restive Abyan province, local and tribal sources said. According to witnesses and military sources, twelve civilians were also mistakenly killed, in the air raids on Jaar, while two soldiers and five armed residents died in Loder. Yemeni forces at the weekend launched a multi-pronged assault aimed at recapturing Al-Qaeda-held towns and cities across Abyan, including its capital Zinjibar.