Fighting between suspected Al-Qaeda militants and Yemeni troops in Yemen's restive Abyan province have killed 2 soldiers and 13 Islamists, military officials said on Tuesday.
The plan is for the Americans to train Yemeni troops.
The Pentagon dispatched Special Forces teams to train and advise Yemeni troops in counterterrorist tactics and techniques.
Rival Yemeni troops clashed northeast of the city of Aden on Sunday, in the oil-rich Shabwa province, an official spokesman reported in Sanaa.
Northern Yemeni troops have moved east into the oil-rich Shabwa region to attack forces loyal to southern leader Ali Salem al-Baid, local commanders said.
The next day, 200 Yemeni troops surrounded the kidnappers and the hostages in Al Wade'a District.
Yemeni troops then stormed the kidnappers' hideout, and in the resulting gunbattle four hostages were killed and two were injured.
After the government promised an "iron fist" against the rebels, Yemeni troops backed by tanks and fighter aircraft launched a major offensive on rebel strongholds on August 11, 2009.
The images were of operations that attacked Yemeni troops at checkpoints, base ambushes, explosions, and cleaning the streets (killing the enemy).
As for the seventy dead Yemeni troops cited by the foreign minister, the Western official said that most of the casualties occurred during Al Qaeda attacks on Yemeni forces.
