There are conflicting reports of an attack in southern Yemen which may have been a botched attempt to assassinate President Salih.

A convoy of vehicles came under fire – apparently from southern separatists – in al-Habilain district of Lahij province yesterday. At least one soldier was killed and four or five others wounded. Shooting reportedly lasted for an hour.

According to al-Jazeera, the vehicles included presidential cars, though Salih was not travelling in the convoy. AFP, citing an unnamed official, says "the attack was on a convoy of elite republican guards".

Meanwhile, NewsYemen says Rashad al-Alimi, the deputy prime minister for defence and security, was in the convoy, thoughaccording to Reuters this has since been denied. The German news agency, citing an unnamed official, says the convoy was "ferrying military officers from the southern port city of Aden to the capital, Sana'a". The official Saba news agency simply describesthe attacked convoy as "a military patrol".

Last Thursday, a convoy carrying Sadiq Ameen Abu Ras, the deputy prime minister for local affairs, was attacked by gunmen in the southern province of Shabwa.

President Salih is currently touring the country in connection with celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of Yemen's unification on May 22.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 16 May 2010.