Yemen: Party leader injured in Aden attack

By Shukri Hussein

ADEN, Yemen (AA) – A leading member of Yemen’s Al-Islah party survived an assassination attempt Tuesday in Yemen’s coastal city of Aden, according to a local source.

Aref Ahmed Ali was injured when an improvised explosive device laden to his car exploded in Mualla city, the source, who preferred to remain anonymous due to security concerns, said.

His son had lost one of his legs in the explosion.

Ali is the secretary-general of the Doctors and Pharmacists Syndicate in Aden. He had been previously arrested in March before he was released two weeks ago.

No group yet has claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack.

On Sunday, Colonel Nasser Makrij, a former intelligence officer, was assassinated outside his house in Aden, the current seat of the Yemeni government.

Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa.

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.