BBC, Dec 31 : At least 22 people have been reportedly killed in an attack at an airport located in the southern Yemeni city of Aden. More than 50 were injured.

Members of the newly formed government of war-torn Yemen have reportedly seen at least one explosion shortly after takeoff from neighboring Saudi Arabia.

The Yemeni Prime Minister said he and his cabinet members were “safe” although there had been many casualties. The information minister accused the Houthi rebels of carrying out “cowardly acts of terrorism”.

Yemen has been plagued by conflict since 2015. The Saudi-led Arab League had launched a military operation to defeat Huthi rebels and restore the rule of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi .

The conflict has claimed more than 110,000 lives and left millions starving. The COVID-19 pandemic has further weakened the situation in Yemen.

We assure our ppl that all cabinet members r safe, &cowardly terrorist attack by Iran-backed Houthi militia on Aden airport will not deter us fm our duty & our life isn’t more valuable than other Yemenis.
May Allah have mercy on souls of martyrs, &wish fast recovery 4injured

— معمر الإرياني (@ERYANIM) December 30, 2020

Some released video footage show a large explosion as passengers disembarked. The crowd, which had arrived to welcome the ministers, fled after seeing thick smoke blowing from the airport terminal. A video broadcast by a Saudi television channel shows a missile attack on a tarmac and explosion.Shortly afterwards, a gunshot was heard. A correspondent for the AFP news agency said he had heard at least two explosions.

A minister in charge of international co-ordination also said there had been two blasts. The cause of the incident has not been clarified yet.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says one of its employees has been killed. A Yemeni news website, Al-Masdar, reported that the deputy secretary was killed and two deputy ministers of the Ministry of Labor were wounded.

Members of the Cabinet, including Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, were taken to safety immediately after the attack. In August 2019, 36 people were killed in an attack by Houthi rebels during a military parade.