A huge explosion killed the governor of Yemen's southern Aden province and six of his bodyguards Sunday, security officials said, in an attack that was later claimed by a local Islamic State affiliate.
If true, it would be the highest-profile assassination carried out by the Islamic State in Yemen.
The war-torn country is home to what the U.S. considers the most dangerous al-Qaida offshoot, which controls parts of the country, mainly in the east and the south.
But the Islamic State's local affiliate has been stepping up its attacks lately, including an explosion at a mosque and targeted suicide car bombings.
An IS affiliate claimed the attack in a statement circulated online by supporters, saying the bomb was concealed in a parked car along the convoy's route.
