Bomb-laden drone sows carnage at military parade

A BOMB-LADEN drone flown by Houthi rebels flew into a military parade outside Aden, Yemen, yesterday, killing at least six troops from a Saudi-led coalition.

The brazen attack threatened UN-brokered peace efforts to end the years-long war in the Arab world’s poorest nation.

The attack took place at the al-Anad Air Base, where American special forces once led their fight against Yemen’s al-Qaeda branch.

The attack also raised new questions about Iran’s alleged role in arming the Houthis with drone and ballistic missile technology, something long denied by Tehran despite researchers and UN experts linking the weapons to the Islamic Republic.

“Once again this proves the Houthi criminal militias are not ready for peace and exploiting truces for deployment and reinforcements,” said Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani. He said two senior military officials were wounded in the attack.

“This is time for the international community to stand by the legitimate government and force the militias to give up their weapons and pull out.”

The Houthis claimed the attack through their al-Masirah satellite news channel, saying the attack targeted “invaders and mercenaries” at the base in Lahj, leaving “dozens dead and wounded”. Yemeni officials said among the wounded were Mohammad Saleh Tamah, head of Yemen’s Intelligence Service, senior military commander Mohammad Jawas, and Lahj governor Ahmed al-Turki. Authorities were still searching for wounded among the rubble.

Local reporter Nabil al-Qaiti was standing in front of the stage when he saw a drone approach and hover nearby about 25m high in the air, minutes after the parade started.

Army spokesperson Mohammed al-Naqib was delivering a speech from a podium when the drone exploded.

“It was a very strong explosion and we could feel the pressure,” he said, adding that two people standing next to him, a soldier and a journalist, were wounded. Al-Qaiti saw many wounded but no dead. “The drone was packed with explosives,” he added.

About 8 000 soldiers had been taking part in the parade, as well as two governors and a large number of top military commanders. Initial reports said six troops were killed.

Yemen plunged into civil war in 2014 when the rebels captured Sana’a, and the Saudi-led coalition intervened a year later when they pushed further south. The coalition, fighting alongside government troops, has been trying to restore Yemen’s internationally recognised government to power.

Hopes were raised last month that the country was moving towards peace, after the two sides agreed to a prisoner swop and ceasefire. The US and UN have accused Iran of supplying ballistic missile technology to the Houthis, something Tehran denies. | AP