ADEN EXPLOSION APPEARS ACCIDENTAL

S E C R E T SANAA 001283 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/09/2013 TAGS: PTER KHDP ASEC PGOV YM SUBJECT: ADEN EXPLOSION APPEARS ACCIDENTAL Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Alan G. Misenheimer for Reason 1.5 (b, d) ¶1. (C) Summary and Comment: There are conflicting reports on the facts behind an explosion in Aden on June 7 that killed three Yemeni men. However, the most credible account of the incident from DAO staff visiting in Aden, with corroborating facts from other sources, point to an accidental explosion. Differing accounts of incidents like this one are not unusual in Yemen because the lines of responsibility (and therefore the most accurate description of facts) among ROYG elements are not always clear. Post will continue to investigate the incident to ensure no relation to terrorism. End Summary and Comment. ¶2. (C) Members of the DAO who were in Aden heard the explosion at around 12:30am on June 7 and followed up with the Political Security Organization (PSO) and other local contacts to ascertain the circumstances. They were told that three scrap-metal scalvagers recovered a unconfirmed type of missile, possibly a small surface-to-air missile, and were attempting to remove the metal when the missile detonated. The three, from the same family, were killed instantly. The incident reportedly happened in a scrap metal yard owned by the family in the Little Aden area. ¶3. (C) The area around Aden contains numerous known minefields that are undergoing clearance through the U.S. and UNDP-supported ROYG National Mine Action Committee, but there are still areas that contain unexploded ordinance (UXO) outside these well-marked areas. DAO members have observed old missile scraps lying along the route from Aden to Little Aden. ¶4. (S/NF) Local independent newspaper al-Ayyam printed the names of the three dead. ORCA conducted a name-check as a precaution and came up empty. ¶5. (C) In another version, Ministry of Interior (MOI) contacts told RSO that three men found an old Rocket Propelled Granade (RPG) launcher, took it home and tried to take it apart when it blew. Other accounts of the facts from various sources, including United Nations officials and the international and Yemeni press, differ in the details. Some accounts mention a missile and some mention an RPG, while some accounts mention different locations in Aden. MISENHEIMER