A bomb planted in the car of a southern Yemeni police officer killed him and his two bodyguards yesterday, and wounded four other policemen, a security official said. “A bomb exploded in the car of Major Ahmed al-Harmali, the police chief in the town of Rawkab,” east of Mukalla in Hadramout province, said the official, adding that “he was killed along with two of his bodyguards.” “Four others sustained minor wounds,” he said, requesting anonymity. The official said the attack appeared to be the work of Al Qaeda which is active in southern Yemen, although it has dealt severe blows this week after troops drove the jihadists out of three cities in neighbouring Abyan province. “The Al Qaeda organisation is very active in Hadramout and is usually behind such attacks on police and intelligence officers,” he said. The US is increasingly concerned about the militant presence in Yemen and has supported the government forces with training, intelligence, drone strikes and increased military aid. The Pentagon has declined to give details of the scale of the aid, however.