Dubai: Two attackers detonated a car bomb in Southern Yemen on Wednesday, killing themselves and five soldiers and injuring several others, residents and a local security official said.
The bombing took place in the Redhoom district of Shabwa province near a security checkpoint, they said, adding that the attackers died in the assault.
The local official added, without elaborating, that he suspected the attackers were affiliated with Al Qaida. Shabwa is one of several provinces in Yemen in which Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is active.
The blast comes only days after fighter jets from the Saudi-led coalition killed a number of Al Houthi field leaders who were holding a meeting at government building in the southern province of Shabwa.
The coalition entered the Yemen conflict in 2015 after an Al Houthi coup against the legitimate government of Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
Hadi came to power in early 2012 after massive Arab Spring protests ousted former president Ali Abdullah Saleh who ruled Yemen for more than 30 years.
He was forced to decamp to the city of Aden after escaping Al Houthi-imposed house arrest after the rebels took over the government in a coup in 2014.
Since then, Hadi shifted government headquarters to Aden from where he has led an offensive to liberate Al Houthi-occupied territories.
Al Qaida, which has taken advantage of power vacuum during the war against the Iran-backed Al Houthi rebels, suffered a major blow last year when thousands of UAE trained forces expelled them from main cities in the south including Al Mukalla, Al Houta and some districts in the port city of Aden.
Elite counter-terrorism forces have been deployed in the southern Yemeni province of Abyan to clear out Al Qaida hideouts.
Security authorities have urged residents to alert them about movements of Al Qaida and Daesh militants who have been sneaking back into main cities to stage attacks against government and military facilities.
The US has stepped up its air strikes on Al Qaida hotspots in Yemen since US President Donald Trump took office in January.
