Explosion strikes intelligence building in Aden

A powerful explosion struck an intelligence service building in Yemen's port city of Aden, a power base of exiled President Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi, local journalists said Saturday.

The blast is believed to have been caused by explosives planted around the facility, which is sited in central Aden, they said.

The explosion was felt across the southern city. Heavy columns of smoke were seen billowing from the building.

No casualties were reported. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

However, independent news site Aden al-Ghad said that the attack is thought to have been carried out by al-Qaeda-linked insurgents.

The militant network has taken advantage of a simmering conflict between a Saudi-backed government and Iran-allied rebels to consolidate its presence in Yemen, one of the Arab world's poorest countries.

Last month, pro-Hadi forces, backed by a US-led air coalition, drove the Iran-backed Houthi rebels out of Aden, marking the biggest setback for the mostly Shiite rebels in months.

In late March, Saudi Arabia and its fellow Sunni allies started an air campaign in Yemen after the rebels advanced on Aden, forcing Hadi and his government to flee the country.

Hadi, a Sunni, is now living in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.