Journalist Rasha Abdullah al-Harazi was in a car with her husband Mahmoud Amin al-Atmi, who was also a reporter, when the incident took place. The country’s government agency said that an explosive device was planted in the car when the journalist was driving near Abyan beach.
According to the Yemen Journalist Syndicate (YJS), al-Atmi survived the blast but was seriously injured.
“The syndicate considers this crime a reprehensible precedent, and expresses fear that it serves as a dangerous indicator of a new and violent phase targeting journalists in Yemen,” YJS said.
Video filmed by Reuters shows the scene after the explosion, with several onlookers inspecting the charred husks of a vehicle on the side of the road. The front part of the car appears to have been completely torn apart by the explosives.
Yemen’s Saudi-backed human rights ministry said al-Harazi was nine months pregnant while Saudi-owned TV channel Al Arabiya said al-Atmi worked for her as a reporter.
YJS called the blast a “targeted” attack, although no group has yet claimed responsibility.
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