The governor of Yemen's Aden province was killed Sunday along with several bodyguards during a terrorist attack in the seaport city.
Jaafar Mohammed Saad and six aides died when the car they were traveling in was hit by a rocket propelled grenade, state-run SABA news agency reported.
Islamic State militants — who are operating in the country amid an ongoing civil war — have claimed responsibility for the attack, the BBC said.
Saad was appointed governor recently and was close to President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who returned to Aden last month after spending several months in exile in Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported.
Pro-Hadi forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, have battled Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen since March.
The Saudi Arabia-led air campaign against the Huthi rebels that seized control of Yemen has lasted for nine months, creating a situation that aid groups and the United Nations have declared a humanitarian disaster.
Saad's death comes a day after the country's U.N. envoy held talks with Hadi in Aden aimed at kickstarting peace negotiations between the warring sides.