Two bombs in Yemen kill one and injure eight

Two explosions in the southern city of Aden have killed at least one person and heavily injured eight others. The blasts, which occurred in quick succession, hit an area near the grounds of a local football team.

A number of sources believe the second bomb was meant to strike the emergency team as they had arrived on the scene. Attacks of this nature are often believed to be masterminded by an Al-Qa’ida subdivision in Yemen. Al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula was formed over a year ago when Yemeni and Saudi militants merged.

Less than a week ago twin attacks on Western targets in Sana’a, left one person dead and at least four seriously injured. Militants had fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a British embassy convoy, injuring one official and a civilian.

The other attack killed a French contractor and injured a UK contractor at an Austrian gas company in Sana’a. Yemen has a long history of security issues, including uprisings from separatist Southern Movement and Al-Qa’ida attacks.

Source: BBC News

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

Protests in southern Yemen leave one dead and five injured

Clashes in Lahaj between Yemeni security forces and protesters from the separatist Southern Movement left one person dead and five seriously injured. Three soldiers were wounded as they tried to open a road in the Kersh district blocked by the protesters, who were demonstrating for the release of their imprisoned leaders.

One member of the Southern Movement was killed and two wounded in the exchange of fire. A spokesperson from Southern Movement, who wants increased autonomy from Yemen's south, confirmed the fatality.

Southern Movement members often stages protests in Yemen's south, where many complain about discrimination on the part of the government in the distribution of resources. South Yemen was independent since the British withdrawal in 1967 until 1990 when it united with the north. The south seceded in 1994, sparking a brief civil war that ended with the region overrun by northern troops.

Source: Middle East Online

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.