Aden is the headquarters of Yemen's Saudi-backed government but its forces have struggled to secure the city against repeated attacks by jihadists of both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
The bodies were found yesterday in the Al-Hiswa nature reserve on the city's western outskirts and are believed to have been killed more than a month ago, a security official said.
"The bodies were already decomposing and their throats had been cut," the official said.
The persistent insecurity in Aden prompted the government to operate from exile in neighbouring Saudi Arabia for nearly a year before setting up base in the city in September.