Governor of Aden Killed in Suicide Attack

The governor of the city of Aden in southern Yemen was killed due to the explosion of a vehicle filled with explosives, an incident for which the group known as 'Islamic State' or ISIS has claimed responsibility. A Reuters report states that in this explosion, which occurred on Sunday morning, December 15, six of General Jaafar Mohammed Saad's companions, the governor of Aden, were also killed. According to Yemeni provincial officials, Mr. Saad was on his way to work when a suicide attacker crashed his vehicle into the governor's car, causing the explosion and the deaths of Saad and his companions. Moments after the incident, the 'Islamic State' group issued a statement claiming responsibility for the explosion and also threatened to carry out more operations against Yemeni government leaders in the future, referring to Yemeni officials as 'apostates.' Reuters writes that the Yemeni branch of the 'Islamic State' has expanded its activities since the outbreak of the civil war in the country and has become a powerful rival to al-Qaeda's branch in Yemen. This group has so far carried out multiple attacks on security locations and mosques that are considered bases for the Shia Houthi forces in Yemen. However, with the suicide attack on Sunday and the killing of the governor of Aden, the President of Yemen lost one of his trusted and close figures. Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who recently returned from exile in Saudi Arabia to Yemen, appointed Jaafar Mohammed Saad as the governor of Aden just two months ago. General Jaafar Mohammed Saad, who fought as one of the commanders of the Southerners against the Northern Yemeni forces in the 1994 civil war, had lived in Egypt and Britain in recent years until he returned to his country at the request of Mansour Hadi a few months ago.