By Mubarak Mohamed
HADHRAMAUT, Yemen (AA) – At least six soldiers were killed on Thursday in a suicide bombing in Yemen’s southern city of al-Mukalla, according to a military source.
A bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into a military checkpoint manned by army troops in al-Mukalla, the source told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking with the media.
“Six soldiers were killed and 15 others injured in the attack,” the source said.
The Daesh militant group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
In an online statement, the group said that one of its members had detonated his vehicle near government troops in the southern port city.
Al-Mukalla was held by al-Qaeda militants until last month when Yemeni army forces launched an offensive to recapture the city from the terrorist group.
In recent months, al-Qaeda has exploited the ongoing conflict between the central government and the Shia Houthi group to bolster its influence in the country’s south.
Yemen has suffered violence and chaos since September 2014, when the Houthis and allied forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh overran capital Sanaa and several other provinces, forcing President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and his government to temporarily flee to Riyadh.
Last March, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at reversing Houthi gains and restoring Hadi’s embattled government.
