Aden: An explosion near a military checkpoint in Yemen’s southeastern Hadramawt region killed two soldiers and injured four others, a local official said, adding to a wave of attacks hitting the country at a moment of political turmoil.
The blast took place on a public street in the city of Shibam in Hadramawt, the official said, adding that Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) or its affiliate Ansar Al Sharia is believed to be responsible.
On Thursday an explosion and gun attack by AQAP in the coastal Buroom region of Hadramawt killed at least 20 soldiers while a suicide bombing in Sana’a by the same group killed at least 47. AQAP ave vowed to target Al Houthis, who seized control of the capital Sana’a late last month and has forced President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi to sign a deal giving it a role in government.
Western and Gulf Arab countries are worried that instability in Yemen could strengthen AQAP, which has also mounted attacks againsr Saudi Arabia and has plotted to bring down international airliners.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council has strongly condemned three recent attacks in Yemen that killed over 70 people, saying they were aimed at undermining the country’s stability. In a press statement Friday, the Security Council reiterated support for President Hadi, underlined the need to bring those responsible for terrorist acts to justice, and called for the country’s political transition to move forward.
Yemen has been navigating a bumpy transition since long-ruling President Ali Abdullah Saleh agreed to step down following a 2011 uprising inspired by the Arab Spring. Yemen’s political situation is also complicated by a growing southern separatist movement and splits in the armed forces
