ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A booby-trapped car exploded on Wednesday targeting a military convoy of pro-government forces in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden, killing two soldiers, a local security official told Xinhua.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the explosives-laden vehicle detonated as the convoy was passing through the Ja'awlah area on the northern outskirts of Aden.
He said that the convoy included Hamdi Shukri, a senior commander of the pro-government Giants Brigades, who was traveling at the time of the attack.
The blast struck one of the vehicles in the convoy, killing two soldiers on board, while Shukri survived the explosion, according to the official.
Eyewitnesses reported a powerful blast followed by intense gunfire, with thick smoke rising from the scene, prompting security forces to cordon off the area. After security was established, the convoy resumed its journey.
Shukri currently oversees security and military affairs in Aden in coordination with Saudi forces, which are controlling the city following the withdrawal of the Southern Transitional Council forces.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since 2014, when Houthi forces captured Sanaa and large swathes of the north, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of the Yemeni government. ■
