Oakland man is first American killed amid recent strife in Yemeni capital.

An Oakland man who had traveled to Yemen to visit his wife and young daughter, who were caught in the nation’s ongoing slide into chaotic violence, became the first American killed in the recent strife when rebels attacked the city of Aden this week, his cousin said Friday.

Jamal al-Labani, who was in his 40s, was heading home after services at a mosque on Tuesday evening when he and his 14-year-old nephew were hit by mortars in a rebel attack, Labani’s cousin, Mohammed Alazzani, said. The mortars were believed to have been fired by Shiite rebels known as Houthis, who have been advancing toward the port city. The rebels have been routing forces loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who fled Yemen to Saudi Arabia last week.

Hadi’s resignation in January and departure last week are the culmination of several years of strife as the government faced resistance both from the Houthi rebels and al-Qaida militants.

The death came amid complaints from many Yemeni-Americans, including some Bay Area residents, that the U.S. government has abandoned Americans in the country on the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. In February, officials closed the U.S. Embassy, evacuated all American personnel and issued a travel warning, but they have rebuffed calls to evacuate other Americans trapped in the country.

Alazzani said Labani was making the short walk from the mosque to the home where he was staying when the shelling began. Labani’s nephew, who is not a U.S. citizen, was also killed, Alazzani said.

“It’s a shame our government here couldn’t do anything; we aren’t asking for troops,” Alazzani said. “It’s not a very difficult situation to deal with to evacuate the people. It’s just a matter of willingness.”