By Shukri Hussein
ADEN, Yemen (AA) - At least three people were killed Thursday when a car bomb exploded near a security checkpoint in Yemen’s southern Abyan province, according to local sources.
A local security source, who spoke to Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity, said a suicide car bomber had targeted UAE-backed security forces (who support Yemen’s internationally-recognized government) in Abyan’s eastern Al-Wadeei Directorate.
According to the source, the blast killed three UAE-backed troops and injured seven others, including a commander.
A medical source at Abyan’s Al-Razi General Hospital said the hospital had admitted seven injured people, including some who were in critical condition.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, while the Yemeni authorities have yet to issue a statement regarding the incident.
Impoverished Yemen has been wracked by violence since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa.
The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies -- who accuse the Houthis of serving as Iranian proxies -- launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.