Bloody Day in Aden, Yemen's Legitimacy Blames Iran

Soldiers react after a missile attack on a military parade during a graduation ceremony for newly recruited troopers in Aden, Yemen August 1, 2019. REUTERS/Fawaz Salman
Soldiers react after a missile attack on a military parade during a graduation ceremony for newly recruited troopers in Aden, Yemen August 1, 2019. REUTERS/Fawaz Salman
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Bloody Day in Aden, Yemen's Legitimacy Blames Iran

Soldiers react after a missile attack on a military parade during a graduation ceremony for newly recruited troopers in Aden, Yemen August 1, 2019. REUTERS/Fawaz Salman
Soldiers react after a missile attack on a military parade during a graduation ceremony for newly recruited troopers in Aden, Yemen August 1, 2019. REUTERS/Fawaz Salman

Separate attacks killed at least 49 people and injured dozens others in Yemen's temporary capital Aden on Thursday, drawing large scale condemnation.

Military and security sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the first attack was a suicide car bombing carried out by militants most likely linked to ISIS terrorist group.

They said two militants in the car targeted a police station in Aden's Sheikh Othman district, leaving dozens of casualties and huge damages in nearby buildings and houses.

Medical sources said that 13 policemen were killed and around 20 other people, including passersby, were injured.

The second attack was carried out by the Iran-backed Houthi militias, who said they launched a drone and a ballistic missile at a training camp west of Aden.

The aerial attack hit as senior commanders were overseeing a passing out parade for newly graduated cadets at Al-Jala Camp, in the city's neighborhood of Breiqa, 20 kilometers from the center of Aden.

Sources said the blast occurred behind the stand where the ceremony was taking place. Photos circulated after the attack showed a huge crater on the ground.

Brigadier General Muneer al-Yafee in addition to 35 others were killed.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the missile strike in a statement by a military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yehia Sarea. He said the insurgents had fired a medium-range ballistic missile at the parade.

In January, drones belonging to the Houthis attacked a Yemeni government military parade in the southern province of Lahaj, killing and injuring dozens of people.

The parade was taking place inside a military base in al-Anad district.

The Saudi envoy to Yemen, Mohammed Al Jabir, condemned Thursday’s two attacks in Aden, saying on Twitter that they indicate that Iran "shares common goals with fellow terrorists such as ISIS and al-Qaeda".

Yemen's Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik also accused Iran of being behind the parade attack and the blast at the police station.

The Yemeni government said the "source and purpose (of the attacks) were the same".

"The two attacks prove the Houthi militia rebels and other terrorist groups are sharing roles and complementing each other in a war against the Yemeni people," it added in a statement.

Internationally, the European Union condemned the attack, extending condolences to the families of the victims.

It stressed the importance for all parties involved in the conflict in Yemen to exercise maximum restraint, saying it expected them to fulfill their respective commitments and engage with the UN Special Envoy in a constructive spirit, to achieve a comprehensive political agreement that sets the country on the course to sustainable peace.



Biden Says Will Speak with Israeli Leader, Vowing All-Out War in Middle East Must Be Avoided

US President Joe Biden speaks to the media before boarding Air Force One, en route to Washington, DC, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, US, September 29, 2024. (Reuters)
US President Joe Biden speaks to the media before boarding Air Force One, en route to Washington, DC, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, US, September 29, 2024. (Reuters)
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Biden Says Will Speak with Israeli Leader, Vowing All-Out War in Middle East Must Be Avoided

US President Joe Biden speaks to the media before boarding Air Force One, en route to Washington, DC, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, US, September 29, 2024. (Reuters)
US President Joe Biden speaks to the media before boarding Air Force One, en route to Washington, DC, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, US, September 29, 2024. (Reuters)

President Joe Biden said Sunday he would speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and believes that an all-out war in the Middle East must be avoided.

“It has to be," Biden told reporters as he boarded Air Force One for Washington. “We really have to avoid it.”

The president’s statements come as Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon killed dozens of people on Sunday. He would not say when he planned to speak with Netanyahu.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah sustained a string of deadly blows to its command structure, including the killing of its overall leader, Hassan Nasrallah, as part of a wave of increasingly brazen Israeli strikes meant to undercut the group's capacity to attack its territory.

Tens of thousands of Israelis and Lebanese have been forced to evacuate near the Israel-Lebanon border as Hezbollah has launched near-daily rocket volleys at Israel over the past 11 months and Israel has countered with its own strikes.

With tens of thousands of civilians displaced on both sides, the Biden administration has tried to bring about a negotiated resolution that would allow them to return home and prevent a wider regional conflict.

Earlier Sunday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Israel has “wiped out” Hezbollah’s command structure with a barrage of airstrikes that has taken out Nasrallah and several of Hezbollah’s leaders.

But Kirby warned Hezbollah will work to rebuild quickly.

“I think people are safer without him walking around,” said Kirby, referring to Friday’s strike killing Nasrallah. “But they will try to recover. We’re watching to see what they do to try to fill this leadership vacuum. It’s going to be tough."

Kirby sidestepped questions about whether the administration agreed with how the Israelis are going about targeting Hezbollah leaders, who the Israelis say have built command structures and other facilities adjacent to or underneath civilian sites. The strikes, according to Lebanese officials, have also killed many innocent civilians.

The White House continues to call on Israel and Hezbollah to agree to a 21-day temporary ceasefire that was floated by the US, France and other countries last week as world leaders gathered for the UN General Assembly.

“If you want to get those folks back home safely and sustainably, we believe that a diplomatic path is the right course,” Kirby said.

He made the comments during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.”