Unknown gunmen on Wednesday (September 5th) killed a Yemeni army officer opposite his house in Sanaa, the Yemeni Defence Ministry said in a statement carried by the official news agency Saba.

Col. Yahya Saleh Saleh al-Khalidi, director of the office of the Chief of Staff of al-Dulaimi airbase near Sanaa, "was shot dead by treacherous criminals on Wednesday as he left his house on his way to his place of work", the statement said.

Security officials said this is the third such operation in two weeks.

Col. Yahya Badi of Yemen's political security agency was shot dead last month in northeast Sanaa by gunmen on a motorcycle.

Col. Yahya al-Munsif, a customs officer, was killed Tuesday near his place of work.