Yemeni military official survives car bombing

SANAA: A senior official of Yemeni armed forces survived a car bombing in the country's southern port city of Aden, a security source said.

"The convoy of General Ali Saleh Hassan, chief of the Joint Military Operations Authority, was struck by a car bomb while passing through the main road in Aden's district of Al-Mualla," the source told Xinhua news agency.

Based on initial information, the attack occurred around Sunday noon when a parked booby-trapped car exploded and targeted Saleh's convoy, he said.

He confirmed that Saleh survived the car bombing attack unharmed, and no casualties were reported among his bodyguards.

Local residents confirmed to Xinhua that the blast sent a column of thick smoke into the sky and caused panic and damage to nearby vehicles.

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far, but local security sources blamed terror groups for being behind the incident.

Considered Yemen's temporary capital city, Aden is where the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has based itself since 2015.

Local authorities are trying to maintain security and stability in Aden. However, sporadic bombing incidents and drive-by shooting attacks still occur in the strategic Yemeni port city.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014, when the Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally-recognized government out of the capital Sanaa.