ADEN, Yemen, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- A landmine explosion struck the motorcade of Yemen's Defense Minister in the country's northern province of Marib on Wednesday, leaving six bodyguards killed, a government official told Xinhua.
"The country's Minister of Defense Mohammed Ali Al Maqdashi survived a landmine explosion that struck his convoy in Sirwah district of Marib," the official said on condition of anonymity.
The explosion occurred while Al Maqdashi along with other military officials were heading to inspect the government forces stationed in Sirwah frontlines, the source said.
He clarified that "all the government's military officials including the minister of defense escaped unharmed and six bodyguards were killed."
No official statement was released yet by the county's pro-government Defense Ministry regarding the incident.
The western parts of Marib including Sirwah are witnessing intermittent armed confrontations between the Houthi rebels and Yemen's government since April 2015.
During the past few weeks, the Iran-allied Houthi rebels intensified their military offensives against the government-controlled areas in Marib and other neighboring provinces.
The impoverished Arab country has been locked in a civil war since the Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014.
