Visiting S. Yemen envoy blows up N. Yemen leader

Press, 26 June 1978, Page 9

Visiting S. Yemen envoy blows up N. Yemen leader

NZPA-Reuter Bahrain A four-man council has taken charge of North emen after the assassination of President Ahmed Hussain Ghashmi by parcel bomb on Saturday, according to Radio Sanaa.

Ihe Iraq News Agency, in a dispatch from its Sanaa correspondent, reported that North > emen had severed diplomatic relations with South Yemen after the assassination. The President was killed when a visiting envoy from th South Yemeni President (Mr Salem Robaya Ali) opened a case which exploded. Radio Sanaa said The envoy was also killed. the radio said the conn try* political and military leaders met soon after the murders and entrusted the duties of Head of State to the four-man council, headed by the leader of the People’s Assembly (Parliament) (Mr Abdul-Karim Arashi). The council’s first action was to confirm in office one; of its members, the Prime; Minister (Mr Abdul-Aziz Ab-1 dulghani). Quoting an official report, | Radio Sanaa said the envoy, had arrived on a private 1 plane carrying the case and' went immediately to meetl President Ghashmi. Lieutenant - Colonel! Ghashmi took over as President of the turbulent Arab republic eight months ag< after his predecessor, Lieuten a n t-Colonel Ibrahim Hamdi, was assassinated in Sa-'aa. At the age of 37 he wash

ithe country's youngest President. Colonel Hamdi’s killers 'were never found. Reports reaching Jordan (indicated that Sanaa was) calm. The murdered Presi-i ‘dent belonged to the tribe of 1 Hamadan, which lives near I the capital, and his brother. Mohammed, is chief of the; ‘tribe. Radio Sanaa cancelled, j other programmes and 1 braodcast passages from the) Koran, Islam’s holy book. The new Presidential; ■Council has also appointed al seven-man commission to in-| ivestigate the assassination, i