Local officials in the southern province of Lahj confirmed on Thursday that a roadside bomb severely injured at least six civilians earlier in the day. AFP quoted an official as saying under cover of anonymity, "A small bus touched off an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) near a crowded public market in Yafea region in Lahj province. The explosion injured six people.
Whether or not the bomb actually hit the intended remains to be determined. Security sources in Lahj refused at this point in time to comment, waiting for evidence reports to come through before making an assessment.
That being said, Thursday’s attack has been for has classified as a terror related. Even though al-Qaeda has not of yet claimed responsibility, experts have said the use of explosive and fashion of the attack bore the hallmark of the Islamic radical group. Bearing in mind that al-Qaeda has stepped up its attacks over the past months, having almost solely concentrated its efforts on southern Yemen; it is likely Lahj’s bombing was planned by the group, as yet another attempt to destabilize the local authorities.
As the authorities in Lahj have raised the alarm, wary other explosives could have places alongside busy roads, military officials have held talks in Washington with their American counterparts to discuss military cooperation.
Labelled the most dangerous al-Qaeda terror cells in the region, AQAP (Al Qaeda Yemen) poses a threat to the country’s national security to an extent never thought possible, especially in the light of US counter-terror efforts in Yemen.
So far no amount of drone strikes, counter-terror preventive measures or financial sanctions against Islamic radicals have seemed to slow down al Qaeda.