Explosions rock Yemen

Shortly after a plane touched down in Aden, Yemen, carrying members of the newly formed government on Wednesday, a loud blast struck the airport, killing at least 22 people and injuring more than 50 others. The Cabinet members left for the Mashiq Palace, and officials reported another explosion there as well. A Saudi-led coalition later shot down a bomb-laden drone that tried to target the palace, the Saudi Arabian Al-Arabiya channel reported.

What prompted the attack? No group has claimed responsibility. Members of Yemen’s new unity government were returning after a swearing-in ceremony in Saudi Arabia last week. The new Cabinet is widely seen as a significant step in easing tensions between Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and the southern separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates. Prime Minister Saeed later tweeted that he and his Cabinet members were unhurt.

Dig deeper: Read my report in the Sift on how the pandemic led to a fragile cease-fire in Yemen.