Yemen’s Prime Minister Condemns Aden Airport Attack “Treacherous and Cowardly” | Yemen News

12/30/2020 Health



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A large explosion hit the airport in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on Wednesday, shortly after a plane carrying the newly formed cabinet landed there, security officials said.

Mohamed al-Roubid, deputy director of Aden’s health bureau, told The Associated Press that at least 16 people were killed in the blast and 60 were injured.

Subsequently, the Interior Ministry raised the number of victims to at least 22 dead and 50 injured.

The source of the blast was not immediately clear, and no group claimed responsibility for the blast.

Yemen’s Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani blamed the attack on Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, adding that all members of the government were safe.

The Houthis denied responsibility for the attack.

Here are the latest updates:

Aden airport attack indicates Yemen’s ‘serious security vacuum’: analyst

Mahjoob Zweiri, director of the Center for Gulf Studies at the University of Qatar, said the attack was indicative of Yemen’s “severe security vacuum”.

“This is a strong indicator that there is a serious security vacuum in Yemen and that it will not be filled through a political process alone,” Zweiri told Al Jazeera.

“It is obvious that you need to have a strong army so that they can help stabilize the political process.”

“If you look at the number of Yemeni armed forces personnel, optimistic experts say they cannot exceed 120,000 in all of Yemen, some of whom have not been paid in months.”

Yemeni prime minister condemns Aden airport attack as ‘treacherous, cowardly’

Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed has condemned the deadly attack on Aden airport on Wednesday as “treacherous” and “cowardly”.

“This treacherous, cowardly and terrorist attack places the government at the center of its responsibilities, which is the task of ending the coup, restoring the state, spreading stability and the recovery of our country.”

“The government will remain in Aden to carry out all its tasks and actions supported by the will of the Yemeni people, which is a strong will like our mountains.”

Gargash of the United Arab Emirates: attack aimed at destroying the power-sharing agreement

Anwar Gargash, the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said the attacks on Aden airport were aimed at destroying the power-sharing agreement between the internationally recognized government of Yemen and separatists from the south.

Translation: The objective of the Aden airport is the objective of the Riyadh Agreement and the perspective of stability and peace in the brothers [nation] of Yemen, incitement, sabotage, violence and terrorism will fail in the face of the peace project led by sister [nation of] Saudi Arabia for the good of Yemen and the region.

ICRC staff member killed in Yemen airport attack, two missing

A staff member of the International Committee of the Red Cross was killed in the attack on the Aden airport, the ICRC Yemen said on Twitter.

Two of his staff were missing and three were injured, he said.

The attack undermines the authority of the new government: analyst

Ibrahim Fraihat, associate professor of international conflict resolution at the Doha Institute, said the attack has seriously undermined the authority of the Yemeni government.

“This explosion sends a very strong message to the new unity government that was recently formed after almost a year of talks between all parties,” Fraihat told Al Jazeera.

“But with the arrival of the government, and this happening, I think it sends the message that the challenges that await this government are very serious. No matter who is behind the blasts, there has been a huge security breach. “

Attack Will Complicate Yemen Unity Government’s Task: Analyst

Afzal Ashraf, a defense analyst and assistant professor of international relations at the University of Nottingham, told Al Jazeera that the attack does not bode well for Yemen’s newly formed cabinet.

“This cabinet was supposed to unite two factions that were initially supported by Saudi Arabia and then of course one of them broke away and was supported by the UAE,” Ashraf said, referring to the president’s Saudi-backed government. Abd Rabbu Mansour. Hadi and the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council.

“This continues to fragment and complicate an already complex and unnecessarily difficult situation that is causing enormous distress to innocent civilians.”

Explosion heard around Aden palace where cabinet was taken: residents

A loud explosion was heard around the Aden presidential palace, where the newly formed Yemeni cabinet was transferred after an attack on the city’s airport, two residents and local media said.

It was unclear what caused the explosion and there were no immediate reports of casualties.

‘Despicable attempt to cause carnage and chaos’: UK condemns attack

Michael Aron, Britain’s ambassador to Yemen, condemned the attack on Twitter, calling it a “despicable attempt to cause carnage and chaos” in the conflict-affected country.

Translation: I condemn the cowardly attack on the Aden airport that coincided with the arrival of the new government. It was a despicable attempt to cause carnage and chaos and bring suffering. [at a time] when the Yemeni people decided to move on. My condolences to the families of the deceased and I wish the wounded to be healed.

Saudi Arabia condemns attack as ‘cowardly terrorist act’

The Saudi Arabian ambassador to Yemen has condemned the attack on the country’s new unity government as a “cowardly terrorist act” targeting the Yemeni people.

“The objective of the Yemeni government upon arrival at Aden airport is a cowardly terrorist act against the entire Yemeni people, their security, stability and their daily lives,” Mohamed al-Jabir said in a tweet.

Despite “the disappointment and confusion caused by those who create death and destruction,” the peace agreement between the government and southern separatists “will go ahead,” he insisted.

Turkey condemns attack on Aden airport

Turkey has condemned Wednesday’s attack on members of the newly formed Yemeni government.

“We strongly condemn the atrocious attack that took place after the plane carrying members of the new Yemeni government headed by Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed. [Ö] landed at Aden airport, ”the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“We wish Allah’s mercy for those who lost their lives in the attack, we convey our condolences to the people of Yemen and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded, the ministry said.

Government officials unharmed, says information minister

Yemeni Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani said all members of the government were safe.

“We assure our great people that the members of the government are fine, and we assure them that the cowardly terrorist attack by the Iranian-backed Houthi armed group will not deter us from doing our patriotic duty,” he said on Twitter.

Yemen’s communications minister says the plane was the target

Yemen’s Communications Minister Naguib al-Awg, who was also on the government plane, told The Associated Press that he heard two explosions, suggesting they were drone strikes.

“It would have been a disaster if the plane was bombed,” he said, insisting that the plane was the target of the attack, as it was supposed to land earlier.

‘Unacceptable act of violence’: UN envoy condemns attack

The UN’s special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, condemned the explosion as an “unacceptable act of violence.”

He said in a tweet that it was “a tragic reminder of the importance of urgently putting #Yemen back on the road to peace.”



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