The Sunni militant Islamic State is hostile to both the U.S.-backed Yemeni government and its Arab coalition allies, as well as the Shi’ite Muslim Iran-backed Houthis rebels in Yemen’s complex war.
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The Yemeni prime minister has escaped unharmed after a hotel used by senior memebrs of the government was hit in a rocket attack.
Military installations were also hit.
Suicide bombings, or rocket attacks?
An army officer of the pro-government forces said that the rockets were fired by gunmen of the Shiite Houthi group from outside Aden city, particularly from an area located between neighboring provinces of Lahj and Taiz. Coalition forces “responded to the source of fire and destroyed the vehicles”.
Details were sketchy and there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks.
Yemeni ministers have been evacuated from their temporary headquarters in the southern city of Aden after a series of explosions that reportedly killed 15 Arab soldiers and Yemeni militiamen.
According to a report by Reuters, the missile was sacked at the hotel’s gate, resulting in flames engulfing the entrance.
The agency said four Emirati soldiers were among the coalition forces that were killed and that several others were wounded, taking to 67 the number of UAE soldiers killed so far in the conflict.
The rebels still control the capital Sanaa and northern provinces near the border with Saudi Arabia.
Mr Hadi visited Aden two weeks ago under tight security, his first visit after almost six months of exile in Saudi, and a week after other cabinet members returned.
The attacks come just days after Bahah warned the rebels that there was no room for more “adventures”.
Yemen is reliant on shipments from its ports, importing 90 percent of its food supply by sea prior to the beginning of the Saudi-led assault.
Amnesty said its researchers had found remnants of two types of internationally banned cluster bombs as it investigated attacks on Saada, a Houthi stronghold in northeastern Yemen.
Earlier, the Wam news agency quoted unnamed “informed sources and witnesses” for the death toll of 15 people killed, blaming Yemen’s Houthi rebels and their allies for the deaths.
The call to the United Kingdom is made because it is a major supplier of weapons to Saudi Arabia, including a recent consignment of 500lb Paveway IV bombs, used by Tornado and Typhoon fighter jets, which are manufactured and supplied by the United Kingdom arms company BAE Systems.
Hadi, Bahah and other members of the government returned from exile in Saudi Arabia last month.
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Air strikes and ground fighting have killed over 4,500 people in Yemen since Gulf Arab nations launched the military campaign in support of Hadi.
