ADEN, Yemen, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- The governor of Yemen's Taiz province and a senior pro-government military commander survived an armed ambush in the southern province of Lahj on Monday, local authorities said.
In a statement, the Taiz provincial government confirmed that Governor Nabil Shamsan and Abu Bakr al-Jabouli, commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade, escaped an attack on their convoy in the Al Maqatirah district of Lahj during the past hours.
According to the statement, the assault was carried out by "outlaw elements serving the plans of the terrorist Houthi militia." While both officials emerged unharmed, the attack killed five of the governor's bodyguards, and two members of the attacking group died.
Military sources told Xinhua that the governor and the military commander were traveling from Taiz toward Aden along a rugged mountainous route in Lahj when their convoy came under fire.
They said that the ambush took place on a narrow, isolated stretch of road, adding the attackers had prior knowledge of the officials' movements and had planned the operation in advance.
The sources added that explosive devices planted along the roadside intensified the attack, contributing to the high number of casualties among the escorts.
Local residents in Al Maqatirah reported hearing powerful explosions and security forces were subsequently deployed across the district to pursue the assailants.
Several areas in Yemen's Taiz and Lahj provinces have seen sporadic clashes between government forces and the Houthi group in recent months.
Yemen has been embroiled in civil war since late 2014, when the Houthis seized several northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government to relocate. The conflict has since triggered one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, with shifting front lines and ongoing violence across several provinces. ■
