Explosion hits Yemen’s port of Aden

An explosion has hit the city of Aden in Yemen; security officials say, as insecurity continues to grip the major port city south of the impoverished country.

Sources said on Monday that four people were killed and five others were injured in the massive explosion which hit the residential Sheikh Othman district in Aden.

They said the attacker rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into a checkpoint administered by forces loyal to fugitive president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.

The bombing came hours after a pro-Hadi preacher was killed in a gun attack in Aden. Militants controlling the city blamed the ruling Houthi Ansarullah movement for killing of Sheikh Abdulrahman al-Adani, a cleric known for his Salafi interpretation of Islam.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but a military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the attack on Monday may have been carried out by the Yemeni branch of al-Qaeda in an attempt to avenge the killing of Adani.

For the past few months, Aden has been under the control of pro-Hadi militia, while Hadi himself moves between the city and Saudi Arabia, where he supervises a military campaign by Riyadh against the Houthis.

More than 8,300 people have been killed since the Saudis launched their attacks on Yemen in March 2015 in order to restore Hadi to power.

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