Yemen: Deadly suicide car bombing in south August 2

Event

On Wednesday, August 2, two assailants detonated a car bomb near a security checkpoint in the Redhoom district of Shabwa province (south), killing five Yemeni soldiers and injuring several others. No group has officially claimed responsibility but Al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is suspected to be behind the attack.

Context

Islamist terrorist groups such as AQAP, locally known as Ansar Al-Sharia, have strengthened their foothold in Yemen amid the chaos of the devastating civil war in the country, ongoing since 2015. AQAP has been known to target Shi'a Houthi rebels, although attacks on government forces also occur. Approximately 10,000 Yemenis have died in the fighting and over 2.5 million have been displaced. The war has also sparked a cholera outbreak, which has affected approximately 350,000 people to date.

Advice

The security situation in Yemen is highly unstable and travel to the country should only be considered with proper security protocols in place.