At least 48 soldiers were killed today by a suicide bomber in Aden, the latest in a string of deadly attacks against recruits in Yemen’s second city.
Military officials and medics said 84 people were injured in the bombing that targeted a crowd of servicemen who had gathered to collect their salaries near a base in northeastern Aden.
The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who blended in among soldiers, said Colonel Nasser Sarea, who said the bomber “took advantage of the gathering and detonated his explosives among them”.
Images from the blast scene showed blood stains and scattered shoes.
IS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement that a “martyrdom seeker” had made his way through security checkpoints before blowing himself up.
Advertisement
The attack comes eight days after a similar bombing at Al-Sawlaban claimed by IS killed 48 soldiers and wounded 29 others.
The Yemen government, supported by Saudi Arabia, is battling an insurgency by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in a conflict which has left 4,000 people dead and 19 million reliant on aid.
Last week, in a surprise move, the United States said it was halting the sale of precision weapons to Saudi Arabia, citing concerns about the civilian death toll in its 20-month bombing campaign in Yemen.
The British government, which has been criticised for its military sales to Riyadh, was said to be in contact with the US to understand their decision but said its policy would not change for the time being.