“We condemn in the strongest possible terms another brutal attack on a barracks in the Yemeni port city of Aden in which at least 49 people were killed and around a further 50 injured. Nothing can justify this senseless violence.

Yet again, Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a terror attack against the Yemeni security forces. We must not allow the country, which has been weakened by the armed conflict, to become further destabilised by brutal attacks spreading fear and terror.

We support the endeavours by UN Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed towards a peaceful solution to the conflict and call on all parties to the conflict in Yemen to finally lay down their arms and return to the negotiating table on the basis of the United Nations’ road map. Only in this way can Islamic State be deprived of the basis for its horrendous acts of terror in Yemen.

Furthermore, in view of the disastrous humanitarian situation, everything must be done so that the population can be provided with urgently needed humanitarian relief supplies. However, this will only be possible once a ceasefire is finally in place.”