Top military commander shot dead in eastern Yemen

SANAA, Yemen (AA) – A senior military commander was shot dead in eastern Yemen, according to Yemeni authorities on Monday.

Col. Belkhir Banseb of the 2nd Military Zone came under fire from unidentified gunmen in the city of Hadhramaut late Sunday.

“Yemen has lost one of the most prominent cadres and heroes, who was distinguished by courage and determination,” Aidarus al-Zubaidi, the deputy head of the Southern Transitional Council, said in a statement.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack. However, al-Qaeda terrorist group had previously claimed similar attacks in Hadhramaut in past months.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since September 2014, when Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia entered the war in early 2015 to restore the Yemeni government to power.

The eight-year conflict has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with millions suffering from hunger.