1 killed, 3 injured in suicide bomb attack near intelligence HQ in Yemen

A member of the Yemeni security forces was killed and three others injured Tuesday in a suicide bomb attack near the military intelligence headquarters in Yemen's southern port city of Aden, a security official said. The al-Qaida suicide bomber with an explosive belt approached a military checkpoint in front of the military intelligence headquarters in the al-Tawahi district Tuesday evening and blew himself up, killing a security member and injuring three others, the local official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Heavy machine gun fire followed the powerful blast at the gate of the intelligence building, he said. An eyewitness said a military vehicle was on fire after the explosion. Security forces were deployed across the region, blocking the main roads with cement barricades, according to local residents. A number of Aden's military intelligence offices and government buildings experienced a series of bomb blasts and suicide attacks during the past three months. Dozens of military members were killed or injured in these attacks, as the government authorities accused militants of the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) of masterminding the attacks. Fears mounted that the al-Qaida regional wing may exploit the country's current political crisis in expanding its foothold and take control over the southern and eastern parts of the country.