Islamic State kills Aden Governor in car bomb

A car bomb in troubled Yemeni city of Aden on Sunday killed the governor of the Port city Jaafar Saad.

Islamic militant group ISIS claimed responsibility for the bombing, a statement posted on Twitter by the group said it was behind the explosion that hit the convoy of Jaafar Saad in the Tawahi neighbourhood, killing him and eight bodyguards.

Images circulated on social media showed a wrecked car on fire on a main road in the city.

Saad was only recently appointed governor, and was known to be close to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi who returned to Aden last month after several months in exile in Riyadh.

Pro-Hadi forces, aided by a Saudi-led coalition, have battled Iran-backed rebels in Yemen since March, after the insurgents overran the capital Sanaa and advanced south, forcing the government to flee to Saudi Arabia.

Fighting between the Houthi rebels and loyalist forces has plunged the impoverished nation into chaos, which militant groups have exploited to make sweeping gains, particularly in southern regions.

The Tawahi district has become a known hideout for militants, including Al Qaeda.

The United Arab Emirates, whose forces are playing a pivotal role in supporting President Hadi and are present in Aden, condemned the killing.

“Such crimes will not weaken our common determination to bring back security and stability to Yemen,” the UAE’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said.

Governor Saad’s killing represents another blow for the president, who has struggled to secure the city since his forces and allies launched a widespread operation in July to retake five southern provinces from the Houthis.

Source: Dawn