Aden, Jun 30 (IANS): A car bomb explosion struck a motorcade of a high-ranking security official in Yemen's southern port city of Aden, a government official said.

"The car bomb blast hit the convoy of General Saleh Al-Sayd, commander of the Security forces in the neighbouring southern province of Lahj when his motorcade was passing through a main street near Aden's airport," the official told Xinhua news agency late Wednesday.

The source said that the explosion killed at least five guards and two pedestrians, and destroyed an armoured vehicle of the official's convoy.

The security commander who was apparently the main target escaped the attack as he was sitting in another armoured vehicle, according to the source.

Following the attack, local security forces were heavily deployed across Khormakser residential neighbourhood where the blast occurred and blocked roads.

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.

Several local government and security officials were targeted in similar incidents recently in Aden and elsewhere in the war-ravaged Arab country.

Considered Yemen's temporary capital city, Aden is where the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has based itself since 2015.

Local authorities are trying to maintain security and stability in Aden.

However, sporadic bombing incidents and drive-by shooting attacks still occur in the strategic Yemeni port city.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthis seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally-recognized government out of the capital Sanaa.