Yemeni journalist killed in a car bombing after reportedly receiving warnings

CAIRO (AP) — A Yemeni journalist was killed in a car bombing in southeastern Yemen and investigators have been ordered to search for the culprits, the government said Thursday.

Mohamed Eida, a correspondent for the Saudi-backed television networks Al-Arabiya and Al- Hadath, was killed late Wednesday when an explosive device planted in his car detonated in the port city of Mukalla in Hadramout province, according to the broadcaster. The network said local authorities had warned him about a month ago that his life was at risk.

Eida’s body has not been returned to his family, who were informed by authorities that it would be held pending the investigation, according to a relative who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.

An investigation is launched

The death and bombing were confirmed by Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of the country’s Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council — the leadership body of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

He ordered local authorities to investigate, a council statement said.

Al-Alimi gave no word about suspected perpetrators. But Al-Hadath reported that two suspects had been arrested and that authorities were pursuing a third. It cited unidentified sources.

The attack is condemned

The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate condemned the bombing as a “terrorist” attack, calling it a flagrant violation of press freedom, showing that the country remains unsafe for journalists.

Allowing the culprits to escape justice would encourage more such attacks, threaten the safety of journalists and violate national and international laws guaranteeing freedom of expression, the group said.

U.N. Special Envoy Hans Grundberg also condemned the killing in a statement Thursday, calling for the protection of media professionals and welcoming the “continued efforts to establish the facts, ensure accountability, and strengthen public confidence.”

The victim had long been under pressure

Eida previously had fled the capital, Sanaa, some years ago after being pursued by Houthi rebels who are the de facto authorities in that city, according to the journalists syndicate. He was working as a correspondent for the U.S.-funded broadcaster Alhurra at the time, the syndicate said.

Al Arabiya reported that Eida was forced to leave Sanaa for Aden after armed men tried to arrest him. The broadcaster said the men also raided his home and stole his belongings, but it did not identify the armed men. Eida later joined the network in the city of Mukalla.

Journalists face dangers in Yemen

Yemen has been fractured by over a decade of civil war that began when Iran-backed Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, forcing the internationally recognized government into exile. A Saudi-led coalition including the United Arab Emirates intervened later to try to restore the government to power.

Over 30 journalists were reportedly killed in Israeli airstrikes that targeted Houthis in Sanaa last September, as part of a series of attacks between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed group, which said it was targeting Israel in response to the war in the Gaza Strip. ——-

Associated Press writer Ahmed al-Haj in Aden, Yemen contributed to this report.