Double car bomb attack kills four near Aden airport

At least six Yemeni troops were killed and dozens were wounded on Wednesday when two suicide bombers blew up their cars at a military base in the southern city of Aden, security sources said.

The attackers detonated a auto bomb early on Wednesday close to the entrance of the army base in the Khor Maksar district adjoining Aden worldwide airport, according to military sources.

“Troops and special forces have regained control of the base after pushing back the jihadists, several of whom were killed in the fighting”, base commander General Nasser Sarie told AFP.

The twin bombs killed at least 10 soldiers. It said the attack was retaliation for “crimes” committed in Abyan and Lahj, an apparent reference to recent US drone strikes.

The attack began before dawn on Eid al-Fitr, a major Muslim holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher, who was in Aden at the time of the attack, vowed that he would “not allow saboteurs to harm the security of residents and block the policies of the government”.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but ISIS carried out a similar large-scale attack in the southern port of Mukalla on June 27.

Yemen is also now gripped in a military war between the government and Shiite Ansar Allah movement, better known as Houthi rebels.

Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has exploited the power vacuum created by civil conflict in the impoverished country to expand its presence in the south and southeast.

Last week, four suicide auto bombings in Yemen killed at least 42 people, including 35 soldiers and a child. Airstrikes against the Rebels are being carried out by Saudi-led coalition since March.

The pro-government forces backed by UAE warplanes have continued to make significant gains and recaptured key areas from Al Qaeda militants in the province of Hadramout during the past weeks.