Bomb and sniper attack on Yemen security HQ

Masked militants set off a large car bomb outside a security headquarters in Yemen’s southern port of Aden yesterday, killing at least five soldiers before storming the compound.

Security officials said the militants’ snipers on the roof had gunned down most of the security forces inside.

Conflicting accounts of what happened next inside the building were given, with reports of people taken hostage and of cell gates being opened to free prisoners.

Witnesses said at least four snipers could be seen on the roof of the compound. They also described mayhem as dead bodies littering the compound’s front courtyard could not be retrieved because of the continuous sniper fire.

Shallal al-shayae, the security chief, was not inside the compound at the time.