( CNN ) -- At least 12 people were killed in violent clashes between Yemeni troops and militants secessionists in the southern Yemeni province of Dhaleh on Tuesday , two Defense Ministry officials told CNN . Among those killed were six troops and six militants . A top army colonel was among the government troops killed . The Defense Ministry issued a statement in which it said that 14 soldiers were kidnapped by the secessionists . The ministry described the incident as a sabotage attack against a military supply truck . Residents told CNN that artillery shelling started in the morning hours and continued until the evening . `` Bullets have entered through our home windows , '' said Saber Jamal , a resident in Dhaleh province . A ministry official said that clashes with the militants took place in four different fronts in the province . In January , the military shelled a funeral tent , allegedly by mistake , killing more than a dozen separatist supporters in Dhaleh . Clashes in the province have taken place on numerous occasions since , killing more than 30 over the past month . Earlier this month , the international community hailed Yemen 's successes in the National Dialogue Conference , which aims to mainly solve the worries of southerners . The dialogue was launched one month after President Abdurabu Hadi came to power in 2012 . Hadi took office as part of a internationally supported political deal that led to the ouster of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh , who departed a year after mass protests broke out . But secessionists say NDC resolutions have failed to address the southern issue in a manner conducive to trust . Political experts say that implementation of dialogue resolutions would need patience from all political sides . `` Security is tense and factions who stand against reforms in Yemen will attempt to spread chaos and destabilize the country , said Nabil al-Khamery , a senior Yemeni politician , told CNN . `` Political factions need to support the government and the transitional president Abdurabu Hadi as Yemen passes through this critical time , '' he added .
Ministry Resident : Clashes occurred in four places in southern province of province . Ministry : 14 soldiers captured . Resident : Soldiers entered my home . Numerous clashes have followed military 's capture of funeral tent in January .