Qaida militants killed by forces in Yemen Armed forces in Yemen claim they have killed 43 suspected al-Qaida militants in two days of air raids, according to reports. The BBC quoted the Associated Press saying government forces had taken the al-Qaida base of al-Rahha in the mountainous south of the country. Arab news channel Al Jazeera said the Yemen forces claim to have killed 43 militants. Sanaa-based journalist Mohammed al-Qadhi told the channel that al-Qaida was exploiting instability in the country following months of political unrest. "Al-Qaida (is) using the stalemate in the political process and the continued division of army and security forces ... to expand their activities in different southern provinces," al-Qadhi told the channel. The raids come days after attack by militants on a nearby army base left 30 dead. Al Jazeera said al-Qaida has strengthened its hold on southern areas of the Arabian Peninsula country, seizing several towns during the past year of protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who left office in February 2012.