Governor of Yemen’s Aden survives al-Qaeda bombing

ADEN: The governor of Yemen’s main southern city Aden survived a suicide car bombing that struck his convoy on Friday, a security official said, blaming al-Qaeda.

Aidarus al-Zubaidi escaped unharmed after the attack in the Inmaa district of Aden but three of his companions were wounded, the official said.

The port city, the temporary base of Yemen’s Saudi-backed government, has seen a wave of bombings and shootings targeting officials and security forces.

Zubaidi’s predecessor
Jaafar Saad was killed in
December in a car bomb claimed by the Islamic State group.

In February suspected Al-Qaeda militants opened fire on a convoy carrying Zubaidi and Aden’s police chief General Shallal Shayae. Both escaped unharmed.

Zubaidi and Shayae also survived a car bombing that targeted their convoy in Aden on January 5, killing two of their bodyguards.

Jihadists have exploited the unrest in Yemen pitting loyalist forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, against rebels in a war that has left more than 6,400 people dead since March 2015.

Pro-government forces last year drove the Iran-backed Huthi insurgents and their allies out of southern provinces, including Aden, but have struggled to assert their authority in areas controlled by Jihadists.

With the help of coalition forces, mainly from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, loyalists launched an
offensive against al-Qaeda in March, pushing the jihadists out of neighbourhoods in Aden and several provincial capitals.