At least 15 soldiers were killed in a suicide car bombing attack on Tuesday in Yemen's southern province of Shabwa, a security source said.

The attack, which targeted a security checkpoint affiliated with the Aden-based government, left five others injured.

Security forces at the checkpoint belong to elite special forces in the province who have been trained and funded by the United Arab Emirates, a member of the coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the capital Sana'a and other areas.

Yemen has been locked in a devastating power struggle between internationally recognized President Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi and Iran-allied Houthi rebels since late 2014.

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and allies started an air campaign in Yemen against the group when they started advancing towards Hadi's southern power seat of Aden.