Yemeni military kills 24 suspected al Qaeda militants May 13, 2012 -- Updated 2200 GMT (0600 HKT) Four members of the military also were killed, officials say The violence is part of the latest push to clear the area of the terror organization It comes the same day as John Brennan's visit to Sanaa Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- Government troops in southern Yemen on Sunday attacked al Qaeda hideouts, killing two dozen suspected militants in the latest push to clear the area of the terror organization, local security officials said. Four members of the military were also killed in the clashes, which began early in the morning in the Abyan districts of Zinjibar and Jaar, the officials said, while nine troops were wounded. Government warplanes aided in the assault. "We succeeded in taking takeover three strategic posts near Jaar and our forces will continue to go forward," said one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Al Qaeda fighters are evacuating areas previously under their control due to the intensive government bombardment," the official added. Suspected al Qaeda militants seized Abyan last year during Yemen's political stalemate after government troops evacuated most military posts in the province. Recently, the government sent thousands of troops to Abyan in its latest assault against the militants, vowing not to retreat until al Qaeda is defeated. The clashes took place the same day White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan met with President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi in Sanaa. The two discussed efforts to eradicate al Qaeda and build a "modern civil state," according to a statement from the Yemeni Embassy in Washington. Brennan also met with major military figures to discuss training, equipment assistance and the sharing of information, it said. On Saturday, a pair of U.S. drone strikes killed 11 suspected al Qaeda militants in Yemen's Mareb province. Fahd al Quso, 37, was killed while riding in a vehicle in the Rafdh district in Shabwa province a week ago Sunday, according to officials. The terror plot revealed last week has been described by U.S. officials as involving a device that is an evolution of the bomb smuggled aboard a U.S.-bound plane on Christmas Day 2009 by a young Nigerian, Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab. The device originated in Yemen and was brought to authorities' attention by a mole who infiltrated al Qaeda, a source in the region told CNN. Information from the mole also led to the drone strike against al Quso.