Yemen's internationally-recognised prime minister on Monday accused the Iran-backed Houthi rebels of escalating his country's conflict with a deadly car bomb attack in the southern city of Aden.
“This is an escalation of violence by Houthi militias … A radical government in Iran is pushing the Houthis towards more violence,” Maeen Abdulmalek Saeed told reporters in Cairo, a day after the blast that left six dead.
The bombing targeted a convoy of Aden governor Ahmed Lamlas and Salem Al Socotra, a government minister, both of whom survived, a security source said.
Aden, the main city in southern Yemen, is home to a separatist movement that last year integrated into the government.
Both have long been aligned against Houthi rebels in a grinding civil war.
On the battlefield, the Houthis have intensified a campaign to take Marib city, capital of an oil-rich province of the same name and government loyalists' final toehold in northern Yemen.
“We are confident that Marib will not fall. We are prepared to counter the Houthi campaign,” the premier said, although he has warned: “The fate of the battle will determine the future of Yemen.”
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Fighters loyal to Yemen's government on the front line facing Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the country's north-eastern province of Marib on September 27. All photos: AFP -
Fighting has intensified and the death toll has mounted in recent weeks, military sources say. -
Fighters loyal to Yemen's government perform a traditional dance at a position near the front line facing Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Marib. -
Smoke billows during clashes between forces loyal to Yemen's government and Houthi rebel fighters in Marib. -
A pro-government fighter fires at positions held by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in clashes for the strategic city of Marib.
The Saudi-led military coalition supporting the government said on Monday that 156 Houthi rebels were killed in 33 airstrikes in the past 24 hours.
Regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran have shown signs of warming relations in past months, but Mr Saeed was sceptical this would ease the fighting.
“We don't want Yemen to end up being a bargaining chip. Sadly, Yemen has fallen on the priorities list of regional concerns,” added Mr Saeed, who was on an official visit to Egypt.
Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed and millions displaced since 2014 in Yemen's conflict, dubbed the world's worst humanitarian disaster by the United Nations.
