The security officials in Aden, Yemen, said that a large blast struck the airport soon after a plane carrying the Saudi-led cabinet on Wednesday. As many as twenty-six people have been killed and more than fifty wounded in the blast, the nation’s interior ministry stated.
No one on the government plane was hurt in the blast, and no group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. Hours after the explosion at the airport, another big explosion was heard at the city’s presidential palace, where the cabinet members were present, including Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik and Kingdom’s ambassador to Yemen. Local media reported that all the officials were immediately taken to safe places, and no one is hurt.
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However, there were no reports of any fatalities, and it remains unclear what caused the second explosion. Meanwhile, Premier Abdul Malik described the attack as “cowardly” and “treacherous.” Associated Press reported that at least two explosions were heard at the airport as the cabinet members were leaving the government aircraft.
Saudi state TV showed footage of the airport after the attack as plumes of white smoke rose from the location. Moammar Al-Eryani, Yemen’s interior minister, blamed the Tehran-backed Houthi rebels for the blast and added that all the members of the cabinet were safe. In response, Houthis categorically denied any involvement.
Meanwhile, martin Griffins, the UN’s special envoy to the war-torn country, condemned the attack and described it as an “intolerable act of violence”. He further added that this explosion was a reminder for the international community that the country must be brought back to peace. As part of the Saudi brokered a power-sharing deal in 2019, President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi sworn in on December 18.
The new Yemeni government lead by Prime Minister Abdul Malik represents Yemen’s southern and northern areas equally. Moreover, the formation of the government resulted from a compromise between the Saudi-backed loyalists and UAE-backed separatists. It aims to end the military tension between these two parties so that they can fight against the rebels a single front.
Hadi’s administration was formed under auspices of the Kingdom, which took control of Sana in 2014, and leaders a military coalition against the Iran-backed rebels. Since the fall of Sana to Houthis, Hadi has lived in Riyadh.
