Colonel, 4 others killed in Yemen blast

By Mohamed al-Samei

SANAA (AA) – A senior Yemeni security official was among five people killed in a bomb blast in the country’s eastern Hadhramaut province on Tuesday.

An improvised explosive device targeted a vehicle carrying Colonel Saleh Ali Jaber -- head of the security directorate of Shibam town -- and four other people, local media reported.

Mohammed Gezan, undersecretary of Yemen’s Information Ministry, confirmed the incident in a tweet but did not share any details.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis, including civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis as millions remain at risk of starvation.

* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat