Yemeni forces kill 7 al-Qaida fighters in south

They included an Iranian, a Pakistani and two Somali nationals, a security official said Wednesday.The official said the military has been shelling two key government buildings in Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan, after they were overrun by dozens of militants.Security has collapsed across Yemen during a nine-month popular uprising seeking to topple the regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, whos been in power for 30 years.The embattled presidents critics accuse Saleh of allowing the militants to take advantage of the security vacuum to support his argument that without him, al-Qaida would take control of the country.The security official said the latest round of violence in Zinjibar began late Tuesday and has continued through Wednesday, adding that the seven militants died during the fighting. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.Wednesdays battle for control of Zinjibar is the latest attempt by Yemens military to reassert control in the countrys restive south. Militants have taken advantage of the turmoil surrounding the popular uprising against Saleh to expand their reach beyond Yemens remote hinterlands.