MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the Xinhua news agency, the explosion was reportedly followed by a crossfire between government forces and militants.
#BREAKING: Gov't forces crossfire with militants after explosion in SW Yemen, casualties expected: report pic.twitter.com/8bhY2MKZXW
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) 24 февраля 2017 г.
Since 2014, Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and Iran-allied Houthi rebels, supported by forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
According to the UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, approximately 10.3 million people are acutely affected and need some form of immediate humanitarian assistance, as a result of the ongoing conflict in Yemen.
