Al-Arabiya correspondent killed by car bomb in Yemen

Washington, D.C., June 25, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Yemen’s internationally recognized government to conduct an immediate, transparent investigation into Mohammed Aydah’s killing.

Aydah, a correspondent for Saudi-owned channels Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath, was killed on Wednesday when an explosive device detonated under the driver’s seat of his vehicle in the southern port city of Al-Mukalla, in Yemen’s eastern Hadramout governorate.

Though no group has yet claimed responsibility, Al-Mukalla security authorities had warned Aydah that his life was in danger, but failed to elaborate. 

In late 2018, Aydah was chased and nearly arrested by armed members of the Houthi group in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.

“The preceding threats against Aydah, coupled with an explosive device planted in his car, strongly suggest that this was a targeted killing, underlining the extreme dangers Yemeni journalists face while reporting from one of the world’s most perilous conflict zones,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “A transparent investigation that brings those responsible to justice is essential not only for accountability in Aydah’s case, but also for protecting journalists across Yemen.”

The targeted killing follows recent political shifts in Yemen, including the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council temporarily seizing oil-rich Hadramout governorate in December 2025, only to lose the region to Saudi-backed forces before disbanding entirely in January 2026.

Since 2024, at least 33 Yemeni journalists have been killed by Israel, Houthi insurgents, and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

In a separate incident, Yemeni journalist Salah al-Din Ali al-Ruhani was detained three months ago by the Houthis in Sanaa, and his whereabouts remain unknown. The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate said that al-Ruhani’s home was raided by Houthi members, before abducting, interrogating him for four hours, and taking him to a detention facility, where he has since been held without formal charges.

CPJ contacted the Yemeni Embassy in Washington for comment on the killing of Aydah but they did not immediately respond to the request.