IS bomber kills 35 government soldiers in Aden

IS bomber kills 35 government soldiers in Aden
An IS claimed bombing has killed 35 government soldiers in the coastal city of Aden on Saturday, in the latest militant attack on the temporary capital.
2 min read
10 December, 2016
The temporary capital has been struck by militant attacks for several years [AFP]

At least 35 Yemeni soldiers were killed and at least 20 others were wounded when an Islamic State suicide bomber detonated a device at a base in the city of Aden, a medic at the scene and government officials said, in another major attack on forces allied to a Saudi-led military campaign.

The attack took place as troops were waiting to collect their salaries, the government sources added.

It was claimed by the Islamic State group shortly after the attack.

Aden, which has acted as the base for Yemen's embattled government, has witnessed numerous attacks against security officials during the country's civil war which has raged on since early 2015.

While the internationally recognised government is locked in a fierce battle with Houthi rebels who control the capital Sanaa, militant groups including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have made inroads into the country. 

These militants have committed previous attacks on Aden, where hunderds of government troops are currently being trained for operations against al-Qaeda and the IS group in nearby provinces.

On Monday, Yemeni authorities arrested eight suspected IS jihadists implicated in a spate of attacks targeting security personnel in the city this year.

Since pro-government airstrikes began by the Saudi-led coalition in 2015, over 10,000 people have been killed - the majority of whom are civilians.

Yemen is the Middle East's poorest nation, with the UN reporting that over 80 percent of the country's population is in need of humanitarian assistance.