Aden (south24)

Aden International Airport, in  South Yemen, has been subjected to violent bombings, coinciding with the arrival of the Yemeni parity Government, coming from Riyadh, and the arrival of the former Aden Security Director, Major General Shalal Ali Shaye.

The explosions - which are believed to have been caused by rocket-propelled grenades - left many casualties among the dead and wounded, including security leaders and officials in the local authority of Aden, journalists and citizens, while none of the government ministers injured, who were transferred to their residence in the presidential palace of "Al-Masheeq" in Crater City.

Attack

A video of Al-Arabiya correspondent, Radfan Al-Dibis, shows the moment of the explosions at Aden airport, minutes  after arriving of the plane carrying the ministers of the parity government between South and North Yemen, which was formed according to the Riyadh agreement between the Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council STC.

A video by the French Press Agency (AFP) showed the moment a missile fell on the runway of Aden International Airport, while government personnel were still around the plane.

Aden International Airport does not have an air defense system, since the UAE's withdrawal from Aden in 2019, according to military experts.

The explosions caused - immediately - 8 people were killed, and dozens were injured, before the death toll rose after one hour  to more than 20 dead and 70 wounded, some of them in critical conditions, according to sources who spoke to south24.

Wounded and killed in Aden airport explosions (Photo: Khaled Al-Senami)

Among the injured are the commander of the Special Forces in the governorates of Aden, Lahj, Al-Dhale and Abyan, Suleiman Al-Zamaki, the agent of Aden governorate, Ghassan Al-Zamaki, the director general of Mansoura prison, Nageeb Al-Yahri, and dozens of journalists, citizens and airport employees.

The Prime Minister of the parity Government, Maeen Abdul Malik - an hour after the Aden airport explosions - confirmed his safety and all government personnel, as well as the failure of the attack, which constitutes "part of the war being waged against the Yemeni state."

Who is in Charge?

The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of the parity Government, Muammar Al-Eryani, accused the Houthis of being behind the "terrorist" operation that targeted Aden airport.

STC Vice President ,Hani bin Buraik, said that holding the Houthis responsible for the attack is premature, as he - that is, the Houthi - is not the only one to lose out from the Riyadh Agreement and the formation of the Yemeni government.

But a TV statement by the Southern Transitional Council spokesman, Nizar Haitham, broadcast by AIC channel, said that "the STC holds the Houthi militias and the forces affected by the Riyadh Agreement full responsibility for this treacherous terrorist act."

This "terrorist attack" failed to target the new Yemeni government on its first day in , Aden, the capital of South Yemen. which came after long, hot months of military and political conflict between the Southern Transitional Council and the former Yemeni government.

Massive condemnations and a second attack

The UN envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, condemned the Aden airport attack "strongly", and the Gulf Cooperation Council condemned the attack. Many Arab and foreign countries, including Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, UK, China, USA and Saudi Arabia also condemned the attack.

Some countries described the attack as a "terrorist", and the British ambassador to Yemen described the attack as "despicable."

In addition, a military source told "south24" that an explosion was heard near the gate of Qasr Al-Masheeq, the main headquarters of the government. He explained that the explosion was caused by the shooting down of a drone.

Other local sources said that eyewitnesses saw a drone flying over the airspace of Lahj governorate, which borders Taiz, North Yemen, after the "terrorist bombing" that hit Aden International Airport.