The Islamic State group formally announced its presence in Yemen in November.
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Authorities were yesterday investigating the exact cause of the explosion. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
A dozen people from the same family have been killed as Saudi Arabian warplanes continue bombing Yemen. Its statement yesterday threatened more attacks.
In October, the government of Prime Minister Khaled Bahah was forced to relocate to Saudi Arabia after four coordinated suicide bombings by Islamic State killed at least 15 people, including four Emirati soldiers.
Yemen’s civil war pits the Houthis, who have controlled the capital Sanaa since September, and allied army units against forces loyal to the internationally recognized government, as well as southern separatists and militants.
Security had been a main concern for Hadi and his Arab allies since he returned to Aden last month to oversee an offensive by his forces and Arab allies to drive the Houthis from the strategic city of Taiz. Aden’s Tawahi district has become a known hideout for jihadists, including Al-Qaeda militants.
According to The Guardian, the death of Jaafar Mohamed Saad is “one of the highest profile attacks by the terror group’s affiliate in the war-torn country”.
“Such crimes will not weaken our common determination to bring back security and stability to Yemen”, the UAE’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said.
Mr Saad was a significant figure not just as the administrative head of Aden, but for the role he played in driving Houthi rebels out of the port city earlier this year, our correspondent says.
The Emirates also has been outspoken against the IS and is part of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the group in Iraq and Syria.
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed was to meet with President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, who has declared the port city of Aden Yemen’s provisional capital following the rebels’ capture of Sanaa and other regions of the country over the past year.
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Information for this article was contributed by Maamoun Youssef and Adam Schreck of The Associated Press.
