An explosion thundered at the government palace in Aden

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An explosion thundered at the government palace in Aden © AFP 2020 / Saleh Al-Obeidi
An explosion thundered at the government palace in Aden © AFP 2020 / Saleh Al-Obeidi

CAIRO, December 30 – RIA Novosti. An explosion thundered at the government palace in Aden occurred near the government palace Maashik in the Yemeni city of Aden, Reuters reports, citing local residents and the media.

As Sky News clarifies, the area of ​​the building, where the newly elected ministers are located, could have been hit by a rocket or a drone. Whether there are casualties or wounded is not yet known.

Several hours ago, a series of powerful explosions occurred in the arrivals hall of Aden airport. Just at that moment, the members of the new government, who had arrived from Riyadh, were to descend the plane.

According to an RIA Novosti source, the first incident was caused by rocket attacks from areas controlled by the Ansar Allah (Houthis) rebels in Taiz province in southwestern Yemen. The Sky News Arabia TV channel, in turn, reported that drones were heard over the Aden airport before the explosions.

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As a result of the attack, 22 people were killed, more than 50 were injured, the condition of some is assessed as serious. The ministers were not hurt, they were transported to the government palace. The airport building and surrounding areas were cordoned off by security forces. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will head a commission to investigate the shelling.

In Yemen, there has been a civil war since 2015 between supporters of President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi (with military support from Saudi Arabia) and Houthi rebels (believed to be supported by Iran). Earlier, Hadi, who is in Saudi Arabia, appointed a new government of 24 ministers, headed by Abdel Malik. It consisted of five representatives of the Transitional Council of South Yemen, advocating the secession of the south of the republic.

The north of the country, including the city of Sana’a, remains under the control of the Houthis. Therefore, Aden became the temporary capital of the internationally recognized authorities of the republic.