According to witnesses in Yemen’s southernmost port city of Aden, a car exploded after a man entered the car and turned on the motor. A person passing by the area was also badly injured in the explosion.
The explosion occurred in an area known as Moalla, not far from a hotel which is the headquarters of the shipping company which the victim was employed by.
An investigation has been instituted and preliminary findings point to al-Qaeda involvement.
The victim was well-known and a long-term resident of Aden. He was about 60 years old, and had just returned from inspecting a ship offshore which had been attacked by pirates.
British nationals have been singled out as targets before in this Gulf country which is one of the poorest of the Arab states, as well as one of the most unstable. Only one year ago in April, 2010 was the British ambassador to Yemen attacked by another car bomb, which hit his convoy in Sanaa. The ambassador was able to escape unhurt. In October of last year a rocket-propelled grenade hit a diplomatic car and wounded three people, one of which was a diplomat.