Al Mukalla: A top army general has survived a car bomb attack on his convoy in the province of Hadramout, southeastern Yemen.
Local security officials said a suicide bomber driving an explosive-laden car on Wednesday rammed the convoy of Major General Abdul Rahman Al Halili in Al Batena region, Qaten city, almost 42km west of the city of Seiyun.
Several civilians and soldiers are said to have been killed and injured in the huge blast. Al Halili is the commander of 1st Military Region in Hadramout and the leader of a massive military assault on Al Qaida and Daesh hideouts in Wadi Sir in Hadramout province.
Exploiting fighting against Al Houthis, Al Qaida and Daesh affiliates established military camps in the province’s rugged areas. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but local security officials say it bears the hallmark of the militant group.
Meanwhile in Aden, security services foiled on Wednesday a suicide attack bid on the city’s main airport after capturing a man driving a booby-trapped car. The man was taken to the investigation department while explosive experts dismantled the bomb. The city of Aden, temporarily the capital of Yemen, has seen a surge in deadly suicide attacks and drive-by shootings since July last year when government forces backed by the Arab coalition retook the city from Al Houthis and their allied military forces. The assassinations and attacks have recently dropped after government forces clapped down on armed groups.
In the besieged city of Taiz, activists and medics said on Wednesday that four people including a child and three resistance fighters were killed on Tuesday when Al Houthis shelled residential areas in the crowded city. The child was killed and four other civilians were injured after a shell exploded inside their house in Samea region.
For more than a year, Al Houthis have refused to lift their siege to the city of Taiz despite persistent appeals from the local and international right groups. The rebels shelling and siege have killed hundreds of people and left the city on the brink of famine.
