Yemeni defense minister survives apparent assassination attempt

Yemen's defense minister survived an apparent assassination attempt on September 11 when a car bomb exploded near a building he was leaving, officials said.
Twelve people were killed in the blast in the center of Yemen's capital, Sanaa, including eight of the minister's guards, Interior Minister Abdulkader Qahtan said.
The blast happened outside the prime minister's office. The attack hit the third vehicle in his motorcade, Qahtan said. It was the second time the minister was targeted, he said.
Three homes close to the prime minister's office and nine vehicles were damaged, and roads leading to the government building were closed.
Motorcyclists who happened to be in the area took seven of the injured to a hospital. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast.
If DNA testing confirms his death, it "would be a deeply significant blow against AQAP," CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank said.
White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan in April described AQAP as "very, very dangerous" and "the most active operational franchise" of al Qaeda.