President of Yemen
The explosion occurred during a period of high insurgency from rebel forces and Islamist movements in Southern Yemen, in addition to an ongoing government crackdown on al-Qaeda. Following clashes near the town of Jaār, the Yemeni Air Force bombed the area earlier in the day of the explosion. During the same day, President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh announced an end to government concessions given amidst ongoing protests in the country, although it was not immediately known whether the explosion was connected to the protests.