Local Editor
Yemeni security officials say militants have demolished a church in the southern port city of Aden.
The officials say masked gunmen placed explosives around the church before detonating them from a distance early Wednesday. No one was killed or wounded by the blast.
No one claimed responsibility for the attack. The officials say it was likely carried out by a local al-Qaida affiliate or supporters of the ISIS terror group.
Both groups have expanded their reach by exploiting the chaos of Yemen’s larger conflict.Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional al-Qaida insurgencies in the Middle East.
The al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula [AQAP], also known locally as Ansar al-Sharia, emerged in January 2009. It had claimed responsibility for a number of attacks on Yemen’s army and government institutions.
It took advantage of the current security vacuum to expand its influence in Yemen’s southern regions.
Security in Yemen has deteriorated since March, a coalition of Arab states led by Saudi Arabia led a military campaign in an attempt to restore power to staunch ally fugitive former president Hadi.
More than 7,500 people have been killed and over 14,000 others wounded since late March.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
