Local officials in the south-eastern province of Hadhramawt confirmed on Saturday that a security officer and his bodyguard were killed late on Friday by men suspected to be linked to al-Qaeda.

Colonel Mohammed Abdullah al-Habashy, (Hadhramawt security adviser) and his bodyguard were gunned by a group of men driving motorcycles as they were stepping out of a restaurant in Sayoun.

The assassins managed to escape before the authorities could launch a chase. Again, even though no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, Islamic militants have over the past months followed that exact Modus Operandi when targeting Yemen security and military officers, always using motorcycles drive-by killing to secure a fast exit.

Yemen has seen much terror-related violence over the past two months alone, with al-Qaeda militants having grown so bold they already attempted twice to seize control of military bases. In September, Islamic militants stormed Mukalla military headquarters, which led to a tense two-day stand-off with the military and again last week in Abyan, when terror operatives attempted to take over a military base in Ahwar.

Security experts have warned that al-Qaeda will try to play Yemen’s political instability further to its advantage now that deep dissensions have appeared within the NDC. Sana’a has yet to convince the Houthis (Shiite group based in the northern province of Sa’ada) and al-Harak (Southern Secessionist Movement) to return to the negotiating table.