The renewal of violence in Sana’a and Taiz emphasizes the volatility of the situation in Yemen as political negotiations drag out. In the south, Yemen’s military has been unable to secure Zinjibar as militants bombed government buildings in Aden.

Explosions targeted intelligence headquarters and a police base in Aden. A local security official reported that the blasts occurred about ten minutes apart, but that they did not penetrate the exterior walls of the buildings. A security official downplayed the likelihood of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s involvement, saying that the attack was “weakly planned.” AQAP has executed coordinated attacks on intelligence and police targets before, however.

Fighting for control of Zinjibar is ongoing. Yemeni military sources report that 12 al Qaeda-linked militants had been killed in the latest round of fighting. The governor of Lahij reported that some militants had fled to his capital city. Airstrikes in Zinjibar killed two militants, according to a security official.

Clashes between opposition tribesmen and Yemeni security forces broke out again in the capital, Sana’a. Residents report that the fighting was concentrated in al Hasaba district. At least three people have been killed and five others were injured.

Yemeni security forces opened fire on demonstrators in Taiz. Witnesses report that members of Yemen’s elite Republican Guard shot live rounds at protestors, wounding ten people.

A resolution to the political crisis in the capital will not end the fragmentation of the Yemeni state, which remains at risk of a broader armed conflict. The current situation has increased al Qaeda's operating space in Yemen.