26 Feb 2012

Republican Guards killed by bomber

5:57 am on 26 February 2012

At least 26 people have been killed by a car bomb in the south of Yemen.

A pick-up truck was driven towards a presidential palace in the city of Mukalla and detonated at the entrance.

A pick-up truck driven towards a presidential palace in the city of Mukalla and detonated at the entrance.

Most of the dead were members of the Republican Guard.

The BBC reports the attack occurred after new President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi took the oath of office in the capital Sanaa, 540km away on Saturday.

He was elected on Tuesday to replace Ali Abdullah Saleh, who resigned after months of protest against his rule.

Mr Saleh will formally hand over power in a ceremony on Monday. He had been in power for 33 years.

Al-Qaeda said it was behind the attack.