ADEN, Yemen, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Unidentified gunmen on Sunday shot dead a senior official from the Yemeni security forces backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the southern port city of Aden, a government official told Xinhua.
A group of masked gunmen wearing military uniforms opened a barrage of bullets at Col. Fahed Ghramah who was leaving his house in Aden's neighborhood of Enma, killing him instantly, the government source said on condition of anonymity.
Ghramah had led a massive anti-terror operation against strongholds of the al-Qaida group in the neighboring southern province of Abyan in the past months, the source added.
Security forces arrived at the scene after the attack and launched an investigation into the incident, the Aden-based government source revealed.
A source from Aden's security command strongly condemned Ghramah's assassination and pledged to take immediate measures to bring the perpetrators to justice.
No group has claimed responsibility for the drive-by shooting, but Yemeni sources accused the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch and the Islamic State group of being behind such attacks.
Government officials, including high-ranking security commanders and intelligence officers, have been the prime targets of kidnapping and armed attacks in recent days.
The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014.
Saudi Arabia is leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Houthi rebels forced him into exile.
