ADEN (REUTERS) - A suicide bomber drove his explosives-laden car into the entrance of an army base in the central Yemeni city of Seiyun, killing two soldiers on Thursday, security officials said.

At the same time, soldiers clashed with suspected Al-Qaeda militants at the city's nearby airport, the officials told Reuters.

Western powers fear Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) could use Yemen as a springboard for future international attacks.

Yemen's army launched an offensive against the militant group, pushing it out of many positions in the south in April in a bid to stem a stubborn Islamist insurgency targeting security forces, military facilities and foreigners.

But the militants have continued to grab land and attack the army in the impoverished country bordering the world's top oil producer Saudi Arabia.