Yemen president replaces assassinated Aden governor

Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi named a new governor for second city Aden on Monday to replace Jaafar Saad who was killed in a car bomb claimed by the Islamic State group.

Hadi appointed Aidarus al-Zubaidi, the leader of the pro-government Popular Resistance militia in Daleh province, according to a presidential decree.

A car bomb killed Saad and six of his guards Sunday as it exploded when his convoy passed through the Tawahi neighbourhood of Aden.

Saad had only recently been appointed governor and was known to be close to Hadi, who returned to Aden last month after several months in exile in Riyadh.

Pro-Hadi forces, aided by a Saudi-led coalition, have battled Iran-backed rebels in Yemen since March, after the insurgents overran the capital Sanaa and advanced south, forcing the government to flee to Saudi Arabia.

IS has claimed a string of attacks in Yemen, including the bombing of Hadi’s government headquarters in October and multiple suicide attacks on mosques in Sanaa attended by Shiite worshippers that killed 142 people.

The United Nations says more than 5,700 people have been killed in Yemen, almost half of them civilians, since the Saudi-led air campaign began in March in support of the government.

On Monday, UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said warring parties have agreed to participate in peace talks in Switzerland beginning on December 15.

The UN envoy added he was “almost sure” a temporary ceasefire would be in place by the time talks started.