Yemen: Deadly blast as new government arrives at Aden airport

Aden: At least 16 people have been killed and 60 more were wounded in an attack on Aden airport, according to local authorities.

The incident happened shortly after a plane carrying the newly-formed and internationally recognized Yemeni governmentarrived from Saudi Arabia.

Loud blasts and gunfire were heard at the airport shortly after the plane landed in Yemen's temporary capital, witnesses said.

Cabinet members safe

Members of the new Cabinet made it safely to the city's presidential palace, according to witnesses and Saudi media reports.

Those transferred to safety were said to include Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, as well as Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Said al-Jaber.

"It would have been a disaster if the plane was bombed," the prime minister said, insisting the plane was the target of the attack as it was supposed to land earlier.

"We and the members of the government are in the temporary capital of Aden and everyone is fine," he tweeted from Maasheq palace. "The cowardly terrorist act that targeted Aden airport is part of the war that is being waged against the Yemeni state and its great people."

What is happening in Yemen?

Yemen's internationally-recognized government and southern separatists formed a new power-sharing cabinet on December 18. They arrived in Aden days after being sworn in Saudi Arabia.

The government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, based in the southern port of Aden, and the separatists are allies within a Saudi-backed coalition.

The coalition is at war against the Iran-aligned Houthis,who have controlled the northern capital Sana since 2014.

However, the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) declared self rule in Aden earlier this year. Since then, the two sides have been fighting in the south, complicating efforts to forge a permanent ceasefire in the overall conflict.

The formation of the new 24-member cabinet, which was sworn in on Saturday by President Hadi, forges a joint front against the Iran-backed insurgents.

Who was behind the attack?

It is not known who was responsible for Wednesday's attack, or what the cause of the explosion was.

But Yemeni Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani took to Twitter to blame the Houthi rebels.