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Continued violence throughout Yemen, markedly Saturday’s deadly bombing in al Mukalla, will challenge the new Yemeni government. Moreover, protesters are now calling for the complete removal of the Saleh family from the government and security forces. Saleh family members hold top positions in the security forces and their removal could be a blow to American counter-terrorism efforts.
A suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle outside of the presidential palace in al Mukalla in Hadramawt governorate. The attack killed 26 Republican Guard troops hours after the swearing-in ceremony in Sana’a. Yemen’s state news agency, SABA News, reported that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was behind the terrorist attack. AQAP has not claimed responsibility for the attack in an official statement. Separately, shelling in Zinjibar in Abyan governorate Saturday night reportedly killed five al Qaeda-linked militants and a landmine killed one soldier.
Yemen’s new president, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, was sworn in Saturday in Sana’a after winning 99.8% of the vote. President Hadi said in his statement that the next period “requires serious dialogue that would shape the features of the future rule though a new constitution that meets national aspirations” and noted that the “war against Al-Qaeda will be continued as a religious and national duty.” Protesters marched from Sana’a’s Tagheer (Change) Square to the Hadi’s residence demanding former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s prosecution. Protests continue calling for Hadi to remove the Saleh family from power, particularly within the security forces.
Yemeni troops and armed men clashed in Aden Saturday. The troops were attempting to clear out a sit-in in a central square in al Mansoura district when the men fired on them. Two soldiers were killed and five others injured. The Southern Movement and the Houthis condemned the attack.
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