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Drone Attack on Military Parade Kills at Least 6 Yemeni Soldiers - Source

CAIRO (Sputnik) - At least six Yemeni servicemen were killed and 14 more injured as a result of a drone attack on a military parade at the Al Anad military air base in Yemen's governorate of Lahij carried out by the Houthi rebels, a source in the administration told Sputnik.
Sputnik

"According to preliminary data on the Houthis' explosive-laden UAV attack, six soldiers were killed and 14 injured," the source said Thursday.

The source also added that Lahij Governor Ahmad Abdullah Turki and other military commanders were among those injured in the incident.

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The comments come after earlier on Thursday, Al Masira, a broadcaster run by the rebel Houthi movement, reported that the Houthis' unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) had conducted an attack targeting "invaders" and "mercenaries" at the Al Anad military air base.

Following the reports, a source in the administration of Lahij Governorate told Sputnik that Chief of Staff of Yemen Abdullah Nakhi, his deputy Saleh Zindani as well as the head of the military intelligence of the country, Mohamed Tamah, were injured in the attack.

Commenting on the attack, Mukhtar al-Rahbi, an adviser to the Yemeni minister of information and former press secretary to Yemen’s president, told Sputnik that it demonstrates that Houthis seek an escalation of the crisis.

"The Houthis have [taken responsibility for] the attack. The Houthis declare that they do not want calm but escalation. The United Nations and the international community must condemn this terrorist act," al-Rahbi said.

The minister’s adviser confirmed that a number of military leaders present at the parade had only received minor injuries during the drone attack.

"The attack targeted military leaders of the Yemeni army, headed by General [Abdullah] Salem al-Nakhi, chief of staff of the Yemeni army, deputy chief of staff and governor of Lahij and military leaders. According to the confirmed information, the leadership suffered minor injuries," al-Rahbi said.

The attack took place almost a month after a round of UN-led consultations on the peace settlement process in Yemen took place in Sweden, resulting in an agreement on various humanitarian measures. The agreement included a proposal for the exchange of prisoners, a ceasefire in the Yemeni port city of Al Hudaydah, and the establishment of humanitarian corridors in the area.

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