Military and medical officials say clashes have killed a total of 19 people, including three children, in two Yemeni provinces.

They said dozens of unidentified gunmen attacked an army position in southern Abyan province.The gunfight left nine soldiers and six attackers dead.

And in Taiz, Yemen's second largest city, there were clashes near the presidential palace.

A shell fired by a tank near the palace landed in a nearby residential area, four people died, including three children.