Islamic State group executes two pro-gov't soldiers in Yemen

The Islamic state group [IS] released a video on Wednesday showing two captive Yemeni soldiers being shot dead by masked militants in the southern province of Hadramawt, al-Araby al-Jadeed's Arabic service has reported.

The men in video identify themselves as Ahmad Mohammad al-Tousli and Haidra Hashim al-Tousli both central security soldiers, while dressed in light blue uniforms.

	The two men are identified as pro-government soldiers [Screen Grab]

The Arabic-language video shows a long-haired IS member flanked by two armed militants condemning the Yemeni government and sentencing the two soldiers to death.

The video then shows the two men being shot in the head by the armed militants.

IS has recently expanded its presence into Yemen amid the spread of extremism created by the conflict between the rebel Houthis and the central government. The militant group is also quickly becoming the main adversary for both the Houthis and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula [AQAP].

See Also: Russian 'spy' killed by the Islamic State group

IS' Yemen branch has attacked both main sides in the country's civil war in recent months, targeting the Houthis in mosques in the capital Sanaa as well as Saudi-led forces and a local grouping of anti-Houthi fighters, with suicide blasts in Aden in September that killed dozens.

The group also released a video last month, attacking its extremist rival AQAP and claiming responsibility for suicide attacks against the government and the Saudi-led coalition, as well as assassinating several anti-Houthi leaders over the past few months.

Late November, IS claimed responsibility for an attack on the army in the eastern region of Hadramawt in a battle that killed at least 19 Yemeni soldiers and 35 of its own militants.

Also on Wednesday, AQAP fighters seized a strategic town from pro-government forces in Hadramawt after clashes left that at least seven people dead.