Jaʽār munitions factory explosion

The 2011 Ja`ar munitions factory explosion took place on March 28, 2011, in the village of Khanfar, Abyan, bordering the town of Ja`ar in Abyan Governorate, southern Yemen. The blast occurred a day after around 30 armed al-Qaeda militants raided the "7th of October" ammunition plant in the town, stealing cases of ammunition and leaving gunpowder exposed at the site^[2][3]; militants took over another nearby munitions factory in Khanfar. The initial fire was reportedly triggered by a local resident dropping a lit cigarette while inside the looted factory^[4][5], as some were checking the site for weapons^[6], which soon led to an explosion. It was loud enough to be heard roughly 15 km (9.3 mi) from the factory, and left many charred bodies at the scene. Compiling the death toll was made more difficult as many bodies were found completely burnt through.^[4] Some of the injured people were taken to Ja`ar for treatment, while others recieved treatment at a hospital in Aden.^[2]

The explosion occurred during a period of high insurgency from rebel forces and Islamic movements in Southern Yemen, in addition to an ongoing government crackdown on al-Qaeda. Following clashes near the town of Ja`ar, the Yemeni Air Force bombed the area earlier in the day of the explosion.^[7] During the same day, President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh announced an end to government concessions given amidst ongoing protests in the country, although it was not immediately known whether the explosion was connected to the protests.^[6][8]

The Yemeni President denounced the attack and called on Yemenis to support security forces and denounce anti-government protesters. Meanwhile, Abyan's Deputy Governor Saleh al-Samty placed blame on the national government for creating a lack of order in southern Sudan caused by heightened security countrywide.^[9] The Joint Meeting Parties opposition group (JMP) blamed the incident on government military withdrawl in the south.^[10]