Suicide bomber kills four soldiers in Aden after asking them to have lunch with him

ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack, but police believe it was in revenge for government security forces storming an Al Qaeda hideout cell in the city a day before.

Aden, pictured here on May 8, 2015, was liberated from the Houthis in July, 2015. But extremists have since taking hold of some parts of the city and wider province. Reuters

ADEN // A suicide bomber in Aden asked four soldiers to have lunch with him before killing them all with a bomb he was carrying in a plastic bag.

The bomber approached the soldiers at a checkpoint near the Caltex roundabout in the city’s Al Mansoura district at noon on Wednesday, said Aden police spokesman Abdurrahman Al Naqeeb.

The soldiers were not suspicious because the young man “spoke politely”.

The attack also left six soldiers with serious injuries. They were visited in hospital by Aden police chief Brigadier Shallal Shaei.

Police believe the suicide bombing was in revenge for government security forces storming an Al Qaeda hideout cell in Al Mansoura on Tuesday where they seized weapons.

However, ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack soon after it happened.

The district was liberated from extremist fighters in March but some elements remain active in Aden province, filling the gap left after Houthi rebels were forced out last July.