Three of the al Qaeda gunmen who attacked Aidarus al-Zubaidi were killed in an exchange of fire in Aden's central Mansura district, while four guards protecting the convoy were wounded, an aide of Zubaidi stated. The governor was not hurt.

In January of this year, al-Zubaidi survived a suicide attack on his convoy, less than a month after his predecessor was killed in a car bombing claimed by the "Islamic State" (IS).

Extremists from al Qaeda and IS have expanded their presence in Yemen, taking advantage of the civil war between the forces loyal to Saudi-backed President Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi and the Houthi Shiite rebels.

Qaeda fighters control a large area of southeastern Yemen and are also present in Aden, which has been declared a temporary capital by the government after Houthi rebels overran Sanaa in 2014.

Local militias allied to President Hadi and supported by Sunni Gulf forces managed to recapture Aden from the Houthi rebels in July 2015. The embattled government of Yemen that is currently based in Aden continues to struggle with imposing its control.

More than 5,800 people have been killed in the civil war in Yemen since Saudi-led airstrikes began in March 2015.

das/kms (AFP, Reuters, dpa)