Yemen's southern port city of Aden, on June 29, 2022. "The car bomb blast hit the convoy of General Saleh Al-Sayd, commander of the Security forces in the neighboring southern province of Lahj when his motorcade was passing through a main street near Aden's airport," the local government source said on condition of anonymity. (Photo by Murad Abdo/Xinhua)
ADEN, Yemen, June 29 (Xinhua) -- A car bomb explosion struck a motorcade of a high-ranking security official in Yemen's southern port city of Aden on Wednesday afternoon, a government official told Xinhua.
"The car bomb blast hit the convoy of General Saleh Al-Sayd, commander of the Security forces in the neighboring southern province of Lahj when his motorcade was passing through a main street near Aden's airport," the local government source said on condition of anonymity.
The source said that the explosion killed at least five guards and two pedestrians, and destroyed an armored vehicle of the official's convoy.
The security commander who was apparently the main target escaped the attack as he was sitting in another armored vehicle, according to the source.
Following the attack, local security forces were heavily deployed across Khormakser residential neighborhood where the blast occurred and blocked roads.
No group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far. Several local government and security officials were targeted in similar incidents recently in Aden and elsewhere in the war-ravaged Arab country.
Considered Yemen's temporary capital city, Aden is where the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has based itself since 2015.
Local authorities are trying to maintain security and stability in Aden. However, sporadic bombing incidents and drive-by shooting attacks still occur in the strategic Yemeni port city.
Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthis seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally-recognized government out of the capital Sanaa. ■
(220629) -- ADEN, June 29, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's southern port city of Aden, on June 29, 2022. "The car bomb blast hit the convoy of General Saleh Al-Sayd, commander of the Security forces in the neighboring southern province of Lahj when his motorcade was passing through a main street near Aden's airport," the local government source said on condition of anonymity. (Photo by Murad Abdo/Xinhua)
(220629) -- ADEN, June 29, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Photo taken on June 29, 2022 shows the car bomb explosion site where a motorcade of a Yemeni high-ranking security official was struck in Yemen's southern port city of Aden. "The car bomb blast hit the convoy of General Saleh Al-Sayd, commander of the Security forces in the neighboring southern province of Lahj when his motorcade was passing through a main street near Aden's airport," the local government source said on condition of anonymity. (Photo by Murad Abdo/Xinhua)
