Officials in southern Yemen say its security forces have clashed with al-Qaida militants, killing one and wounding two.

Authorities say the fight happened Sunday in Delea province, adjacent to Abyan province.

The militants seized several Abyan towns, including Jaar, Zinjibar and Shuqra last year while the government was pre-occupied with a pro-democracy uprising against then-president Ali Abdullah Saleh. His successor Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi launched a U.S.-backed military offensive in May to recapture those areas.