Sanaa, Jun 16 (IANS): A local Yemeni journalist was killed after his vehicle was blown up in the southern port city of Aden, a government official said on Thursday.

"An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attached to the vehicle carrying a local journalist named Saber Noman Al-Haidary, exploded (late Wednesday night) and caused a large blast in Aden's district of Mansourah," the official told Xinhua news agency.

The journalist worked for a Japanese news outlet, while it is not immediately clear why he was targeted, the official said, adding that the investigation is underway.

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far, but several Yemeni journalists had been killed in similar incidents across the war-ravaged Arab country.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sana'a.

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.