Two soldiers were killed on Wednesday afternoon in an explosion that targeted the convoy of Hamdi Shukri, a commander of the pro-government Southern Giants Brigade in Yemen, north of the city of Aden on Wednesday.
A security source told The New Arab’s sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the explosion, which happened at the Jaulah Roundabout in the Dar Saad area, was caused by a booby-trapped car that had been parked on the side of the road.
The blast struck one of the vehicles in the convoy, killing the two soldiers who were inside. The incident highlighted the fragility of the security situation in Aden, which recently came under the control of Yemen’s internationally recognised government following the collapse of the separatist, UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC).
The source said that Shukri survived the attack, and that the convoy continued to his home after the area was secured. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.
According to preliminary information, the explosion caused partial damage to several vehicles in the vicinity. Security forces quickly cordoned off the site and began an investigation to determine the circumstances of the attack and the party responsible, amid a heightened security alert in the area.
This attack comes amid growing security concerns in Aden, as bombings and assassinations targeting military and security leaders continue, with increasing public anxiety about the authorities’ ability to maintain security in the city.
Shukri is considered one of the prominent field commanders in the Southern Giants Brigade and is tasked with work related to restructuring and unifying military and security forces in areas controlled by Yemen’s beleaguered government.
These efforts aim to strengthen the security apparatus and reduce fragmentation and rivalry among various militias and military formation.
Yemen’s multifaceted civil war began in 2014, when Houthi rebels seized the capital Sanaa and most of northern Yemen. The internationally recognised government fled to Aden but its authority has been challenged there by the STC, which was formally dissolved earlier this month following Saudi pressure.