Explosion near Aden airport in Yemen kills at least six: sources

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ADEN – An explosion near the entrance to the international airport in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden on Saturday caused at least six deaths and around 20 injuries, a security source and a medical source told Reuters. it was unclear if the incident was an attack.

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An airport official said a small truck exploded at an exterior airport gate, while a local official and two security sources said the vehicle was carrying petroleum products.

The explosion was loud and was heard throughout the city. Nearby residents’ windows were smashed.

Aden is the temporary home to the internationally recognized Yemeni government, which as part of a Saudi-backed coalition has been fighting the Iran-aligned Houthi group for about seven years.

But tensions have also simmered for years within Aden itself between the government and southern separatist groups.

The government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) are nominal allies under the Saudi-led coalition.

Earlier this month, a car bomb in Aden targeting a convoy carrying the city’s governor, a member of the STC, killed at least six people and injured others. The governor survived.

A December 2020 attack on the Aden airport killed at least 22 people. An investigation by a team of UN experts found the Houthis responsible for the missile attack.

Instability in the south complicates United Nations-led peace efforts to end the war in Yemen, which has killed tens of thousands of people and left 80% of the population in need of help.