Whenever troops are clustered together in large numbers these days, they seem to be a big target. That was true this weekend in Yemen’s southern port of Aden, where government troops were lining up to collect their paychecks at the entrance to the military base when a suicide bomber struck.
The bomber killed at least 50 soldiers and wounding an estimated 70 others. The local ISIS affiliate claimed responsibility a few hours later in an online statement, which has prompted a promise for an investigation into the incident.
Aden is the de facto capital city of the pro-Saudi faction in the ongoing war in Yemen. The capital city of Sanaa is under control of the Shi’ite Houthi faction, and has been for almost two years. ISIS has carried out attacks against both sides repeatedly throughout the war.
Saudi Arabia attacked Yemen in March of 2015, vowing to oust the Houthis and reinstall their allies. During this fight both ISIS and the al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have gained considerable territory and launched a number of high profile attacks.