Explosion at Aden airport came after plane carrying the new Yemeni government arrived from Saudi Arabia.

Sanaa, December 30 (RHC)-- Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik has condemned as “treacherous” and “cowardly” the deadly attack on Aden airport on Wednesday.  A large explosion struck the airport in the southern Yemeni city of Aden shortly after a plane carrying the newly formed cabinet landed there.

“This treacherous, cowardly and terrorist attack, places the government at the heart of its responsibilities, which is the task of ending the coup, restoring the state, spreading stability and the recovery of our country,” Abdulmalik said.

Yemen’s Interior Ministry said at least 22 people had been killed and 50 were wounded in the attack.  The source of the blast was not immediately clear and no group claimed responsibility for the explosion.  No one on the government plane was hurt.

Hours after the attack, a second explosion was heard around Aden’s Maasheq presidential palace where the cabinet members including Prime Minister Abdulmalik, as well as the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, had been taken to safely, residents and local media said.

It was unclear what caused the second blast and there were no immediate reports of casualties.