Five people were killed and three others wounded on Wednesday when a car bomb targeted the convoy of a Saudi-backed military commander in Aden, southern Yemen, according to the Riyadh-backed government and security sources.
The Saudi-backed Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council stated that “the treacherous terrorist crime that targeted the convoy of the commander of the Second Giants Brigade, Brigadier General Hamdi Shukri, resulted in the martyrdom of five of our armed forces heroes and the wounding of three others.”
A security source reported that a parked car bomb in the Ja’awla area north of Aden exploded as Brigadier General Shukri’s convoy passed. Shukri survived the attack but sustained shrapnel wounds to his leg, a medical source confirmed.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes amid ongoing unrest in Yemen.
The incident occurs against a backdrop of factional tensions in southern Yemen. Last December, the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) moved to seize control of southern areas and declared a transitional period aimed at secession, before being forced back by Saudi airstrikes and Saudi-backed ground forces. The Giants Brigade had cooperated with the Saudi-backed Homeland Shield forces to regain control of areas taken by UAE-backed militants.
Riyadh’s allies now control most of southern Yemen, and the Saudi-backed camp dominates the government in Aden, which was previously divided between UAE-backed and Saudi-backed factions.
The Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen condemned the “terrorist attack,” affirming its support for “Yemeni security efforts to pursue those involved in this criminal act.” Separately, the US Embassy in Yemen condemned the “unjustified attack” targeting Shukri’s convoy. Both statements were issued on the platform X.
Source: Agencies (translated and edited by Al-Manar)