Yemen: 6 killed in blast near Aden airport, officials suspect 'terrorist' attack

A massive explosion near the entrance of the international airport in the port city of Aden, Yemen killed as many as six and injured another 12 on Saturday, Xinhua News agency reported, quoting a senior security official. As per reports, a truck parked outside the main exterior entrance of Aden airport exploded, destroying several vehicles. However, the officials are yet to ascertain the nature of the blast as "some initial tips" indicated electrical faults which led to the explosion, officials told Xinhua under conditions of anonymity.

Several unconfirmed reports suggested "booby-trap" detonated remotely, which led to the assumably "terrorist blast," Xinhua mentioned, citing the official. "There are conflicting reports on the causes of the blast as some initial tips indicate an electrical fault that led to the explosion if a parked truck loaded with a large quantity of diesel near the airport," the official told. The intensity of the blast was felt across the city with windows in the nearby residents' homes being shattered. Meanwhile, no statements were released by government authorities in Aden that confirmed the nature of the attack.

Ballistic missile fired by Houthi rebels kill 11 civilians

The explosion took place a day after Houthi rebels fired a ballistic missile in Marib, killing 11 civilians, including women and children. The victims of the blast were prominent tribe leader's family from the Al-Amud area, the officials told the Associated Press. Atleast 11 houses were also destroyed in the targeted attack by Houthi rebels on Friday, injuring a total of 16 people.

As recently on October 21, Thursday, 38 Houthi rebels were killed in a fight with the Yemeni military in the central province of Marib, quoting a frontline source, Xinhua website reported. Although no military personnel was killed or injured during the armed conflict on Thursday, ten soldiers were hurt.

Yemen-Houthi Conflict

The Yemen-Houthi Conflict began in September 2014, when the Iran-backed militia seized the capital city of Sanaa. The rebel group toppled President Abed Rabbi Mansour Hadi's government and formed the Supreme Political Council along with its allied forces supported by the former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Following the annexure, Yemen's recognised government backed by Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) engaged in war with the rebel group since March 2015. The battle forced the last President Hadi to flee the country to Saudi Arabia.

Houthi militants claimed to have fired a ballistic missile at Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh in May 2017. In December 2017, the Houthis killed former support Saleh, indicating he wished to switch sides. In January 2021, former US State Secretary Mike Pompeo proposed to declare the Houthis as a "Foreign terrorist organisation." However, the Biden administration after a month in the White House withdrew arms backing to UAE and Saudi Arabia and called for a ceasefire. The State Department also said that it would revoke Houthi's "terrorist group tag."

A series of strikes and counterstrikes since 2015 has killed thousands of civilians and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine and humanitarian crisis. The shaky cease-fire to end Yemen's civil war has been under the debris of truce breaches and sporadic military escalation by both sides.

With inputs from AP

Image: PTI (representative)