Senior party leader assassinated in Yemen’s Aden

By Mohamed al-Samei

SANAA (AA) – An Islamist party leader was shot dead in Yemen’s coastal city of Aden on Tuesday, according to a local security official.

Two gunmen on a motorbike opened fire on Shawki Kamadi, a member of Al-Islah party in Mualla district in Aden, killing him on the spot, the source said on condition of anonymity as he was unauthorized to speak to media.

The assailants managed to flee the scene unscathed.

In a statement, the party confirmed Kamadi’s death, describing his killing as “heinous”.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Aden has recently seen a spate of assassinations that targeted a number of senior members of Al-Islah party.

The city has served as a temporary headquarters for the Yemeni government since Houthi rebels overran much of the country -- including capital Sanaa -- in 2014.

The following year, Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies -- who accuse the Houthis of serving as an Iranian proxy force -- launched a massive military campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.