Yemen officials: Explosion in Aden governor’s office kills 4

He said he had given orders to hunt down the assailants, who have not been identified. Al-Bakry, who oversees the Aden governorate, was in the building at the time, meeting with high-profile military and security officials.

The officials say the blast also wounded 10 people.

Bakri is known for his close ties to the Islamist Al-Islah Party.

The UAE shut its embassy in Sanaa and announced it would open another in southern city Aden, which was later the scene of intense fighting between local government supporters and the rebels before loyalists retook the city in mid-July.

Exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi later appointed him governor, rewarding him for remaining in the city during months of fierce fighting while many other provincial officials fled.

Saudi Arabia has led an air war against Shiite Huthi rebels and their allies in neighbouring Yemen since March 26. Houthi reinforcements have been being despatched to the town, witnesses stated. Unconfirmed reports have emerged of five Houthis were killed in the same attack.

“All the parties to this conflict have displayed a ruthless and wanton disregard for the safety of civilians,” said Donatella Rovera, senior crisis response adviser at Amnesty worldwide.

“The educators were gathered together to prepare exams for thousands of children who had missed the end of their school year because of this brutal conflict”, the agency said. Witnesses said scores of houses were damaged and some caught on fire. “A selfless activity turned in a moment into senseless bloodshed”.

“The recent airstrikes and shelling of Hodeida port facilities have created an additional and immediate obstacle to the import of food, fuel, medicines and other critical goods to alleviate some of the most pressing needs of the population”, said a joint statement by the spokespersons of EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, and Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management coordinator Christos Stylianides.

On Wednesday, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned about the humanitarian situation in Yemen, saying children are bearing the brunt of Saudi aggression against Yemenis with an average of eight kids getting killed every day in the ongoing airstrikes against the Arab country.