Governor of Yemen's temporary capital, the southern port city of Aden, Jafar Saad was killed along with four of his bodyguards on Sunday, a local official said.
"A car bomb was detonated at the convoy of the governor in the district of Al-Tawahi while he was on the way to his office this morning. He and his guards died immediately," the official said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Since it was retaken from the Houthi militants in mid-year, Aden has seen a series of targeted killings of officials.
On Saturday, a judge and a security officer were shot dead in separate incidents in the city.
The killings come as the government is struggling to restore security and stability in the city with support from troops from the Saudi-led coalition.
Locals say militant groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIL have become active coinciding with spread of weapons in civilian hands in it.
Militant groups are also expanding their presence in other southern provinces taking advantage of the fragile security situation and the ongoing conflict in other regions.
Two days ago, reports from Abyan said ISIL beheaded 8 people who were believed to be Houthi fighters.
The beheadings came shortly after Al-Qaeda militants seized towns including the capital Zinjbar in Abyan.