Aftermath of bombing (Hisham al Omeisy)

Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for an explosion outside the presidential palace, residence of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Rabbu Hadi on Thursday in the southern city of Aden. The blast killed at least 11 people with 13 seriously injured. Hadi took control after Former President Ali Abdullah Saleh resigned in 2012 following mass protests against his rule. Hadi was later forced to relocate to Aden from the capital Saana after Shiite Houthis took control of the city. Reuters reported,

“Officials said Hadi was inside his residence at the time of the attack and was unharmed.

‘A suicide car bomb targeted a security checkpoint about 500 meters (yards) from the Maashiq palace. The majority of the casualties are civilians,’ an official told Reuters by telephone.”

IS released photographs claiming to be Dutch suicide bomber, Abu Hunaifa al-Hollandi and also images of the explosion.

IS claim of responsibility

Nasser Arrabyee, Yemeni Journalist and Film-maker stated,

The first European suicide bomber in Yemen. From the Netherlands. He wanted to kill Saudi-backed resigned Pres Hadi.

Links

“Yemen crisis: Who is fighting whom?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-29319423

“AL-QA`IDA AND THE ISLAMIC STATE BENEFIT AS YEMEN WAR DRAGS ON”

https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/al-qaida-and-the-islamic-state-benefit-as-yemen-war-drags-on

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad. She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.