Yemen’s internationally recognised government has announced the dismantling of a major terrorist cell linked to the 2023 assassination of a senior UN World Food Programme (WFP) official. The breakthrough came as authorities arrested key suspects connected to multiple high-profile attacks in southern Yemen.

According to a report by the state-run Saba news agency, the cell was active in the Ash Shamayatayn district of southwestern Taiz province and had orchestrated terrorist operations across Aden, Lahj, Taiz, and Al Bayda.

The group has been accused of carrying out the October 2021 bombing targeting the convoy of Aden’s governor, Ahmed Hamed Lamlas, which resulted in the deaths of several of his aides.

Security forces also apprehended the main suspects involved in the 2023 killing of Moayad Hameidi, the WFP’s director in the At Turbah region. During raids on multiple hideouts, authorities discovered bomb-making labs, explosive devices, and landmines, according to officials.

The announcement was made during a meeting of the Supreme Security Committee in Aden, chaired by Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi.

Yemeni security and political leaders have frequently been the targets of shootings and bombings, particularly in the south, where instability remains high despite ongoing military and security operations.

Yemen’s conflict began in 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi rebels took control of large parts of the north, including the capital, Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to restore the legitimate government, but the war has since entered its second decade, leading to widespread humanitarian suffering.

Despite international mediation efforts, a sustainable peace agreement has yet to be achieved.