A roadside bomb struck a military patrol in Yemen's southern Abyan province on Wednesday, killing at least two soldiers and wounding four others, a local security official said.

The official, who asked to remain anonymous, said an improvised explosive device detonated in the Mudiyah district of Abyan when the patrol passed by. The blast destroyed the military vehicle and killed two soldiers instantly.

Local authorities arrived at the scene following the bombing to assist the victims and conduct an investigation. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Officials suspect that al-Qaeda affiliates active in the region carried out the bombing, as they have previously targeted Yemeni government forces with similar roadside explosions and ambushes. Abyan and other southern provinces have seen an uptick in attacks against security personnel in recent months.

The Yemeni government has struggled to prevent al-Qaeda factions from taking advantage of the country's ongoing civil war and power vacuum to expand, especially in the country's south.

Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognized Yemeni government. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in the conflict in support of the Yemeni government in 2015.