Two suicide car bombings against security forces in the southern Yemeni port of Aden killed at least five people Saturday, officials said, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. Five people, including security officers and a child, died in the blasts at the headquarters of an anti-terror unit in the Tawahi district, Aden security chief General Shallal al-Shae said. He said 24 civilians on a nearby beach were wounded as were seven guards.
Shae hailed the "vigilance" of the security forces, saying they intercepted the explosive-laden cars and stopped them entering the compound. IS propaganda arm Amaq claimed the attack in a message on the Telegram messaging app, saying two of the group's fighters carried out the "martyrdom-seeking" operation. The bombings comes after deadly clashes in Aden last month that saw southern separatists seize much of the strategic coastal city from the Saudi-backed government.
Aden has been the base of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's government since it was forced out of the capital Sanaa in 2014 by Iran-backed Huthi rebels. During the chaos in Yemen over the past few years IS has repeatedly attacked Aden, claiming hundreds of victims and mainly targeting government forces. The UAE and Saudi Arabia lead a military coalition that has fought alongside the Hadi's forces since 2015 in a war against the Huthis from north Yemen that has left more than 9,200 people dead.
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