At least four killed in car-bomb attack targeting local governor in southern Yemen city Aden

At least four people have been killed in a car-bomb attack targeting the governor of Aden, the seat of Yemen's internationally recognised government, security sources said on Sunday.

Governor Ahmed Lamlas and Environment Minister Salem al-Socotri both survived the blast which went off as their convoy passed, the sources said.

Clashes in the southern city of Aden occurred last week between members of the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC). At least four fighters were killed before armoured vehicles were deployed and calm was restored. 

The prime minister of the Saudi-backed government returned to Aden only a few weeks ago from Saudi Arabia and is residing at the presidential palace in Crater along with other government ministers. Yemen's president is based in Riyadh.

South Yemen has been paralysed by the power struggle between the government and the United Arab Emirates-backed STC, leading to protests in recent months over widespread poverty and poor public services. 

They are nominal allies under a coalition led by Saudi Arabia which has been battling the Iran-aligned Houthi movement that ousted the government from the capital Sanaa in late 2014 and now holds most of northern Yemen and main urban centres.

Riyadh mediated a deal aimed at ending the standoff between the government and the STC, including forming a new cabinet that includes separatists, but a planned troop redeployment by both sides outside Aden and other southern areas has not happened.

The coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 against the Houthis but the conflict has dragged on, killing tens of thousands and pushing the country to the brink of famine.