Al-Qaida militants in Yemen stormed the center of the coastal city of al-Mukalla early Thursday, freeing about 300 inmates, including scores of militants, Yemeni officials said.

They also added that al-Qaida militants were also deployed across major roads leading into al-Mukalla, capital of the vast eastern province of Hadramawt, in an apparent attempt to prevent anyone from retaking it. The province is still mostly in the hands of forces loyal to embattled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who fled the country last month.

Al-Qaida was able to capture al-Mukalla because of the turmoil gripping Yemen, where a Saudi-led air campaign is targeting Iranian-backed Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, and rival groups are fighting it out across much of the country.

Saudi-led air strikes, now in their second week, have focused on Aden the last two days, bombing rebels approaching the city from the east and north in the hope of keeping Aden free for a possible return of Hadi to retake the reins of power.

Hadi fled Sanaa in February and set himself and the remnants of his government up in Aden.