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At least 12 people have been killed after several large explosions and gunfire rocked Aden airport in Yemen as the country’s newly appointed government arrived by plane from Saudi Arabia.
Sources within the government told The Independent there were more than 12 fatalities and several more injured, including vice ministers, in the attack which took place on Wednesday.
An initial first explosion was caught live on air by Al-Hadath TV, which captured plumes of smoke billowing out of the terminal as the officials were disembarking form the plane.
Hundreds of panicked onlookers, security forces, and officials were then seen scrambling for safety.
It was followed by several gunshots and smaller explosions, with some media outlets reporting mortar shells and drones had hit the building.
The cabinet members, including Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik, were transferred safely to the city’s presidential palace, Hamza al-Kamaly, Yemen’s deputy minister of youth and sports told The Independent.
Mr al-Kamaly said the vice minister of transportation was injured as well as local officials and civilians.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack but Mr al-Kamali said the authorities believed it was perpetrated by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who control swathes of northern Yemen and have been embroiled in a five-year war with the recognised government.
A senior airport security official briefly video-called The Independent from the airport where heavily armed security officers were seen taking cover while apparently looking for the perpetrators of the attack. The Independent lost contact with him.
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