Suicide bombers killed more than
130 worshipers in two Shiite mosques in Yemen's capital Friday, one of the
deadliest attacks in the war-torn nation's history.
The bombings could trigger new
sectarian violence in the mostly Sunni nation under assault from Shiite rebels
known as the Houthis.
Al-Masirah TV, a network owned by
the Houthi rebels, said 137 were killed and 345 were injured when four suicide
bombers attacked the Badr and Al Hashoosh mosques in Sanaa, the Associated
Press reported. A fifth suicide attack at another mosque was foiled in the
northern city of Saada, the network said.
The two mosques were attacked
during Friday midday prayers, the busiest time of the week. While they are both
controlled by the rebels, Sunni worshippers also attend services there
A group claiming to represent the
Yemeni branch of the Islamic State — composed of Sunni extremists — claimed
responsibility for the attack, describing it as a "blessed operation"
against the "dens of the Shiites" in an online statement, the
Associated Press reported. The claim could not be independently verified.
If true, the bombing would mark
the first major attack by Islamic State supporters in Yemen. White House
spokesman Josh Earnest said the U.S. was investigating the claims, but has seen
no indications of an operational link between the militants and the attacks,
according to the Associated Press.
"It does appear that these
kinds of claims are often made for a perception that it benefits their
propaganda efforts," Earnest said.
The Houthis, backed by Iran's
Shiite government, took over the capital in September and forced the nation's
president to flee last month.
The rebels control at least nine
of Yemen's 21 provinces. They've seized parts of the U.S.-backed government,
threatening a key American anti-terrorism partner in the region. The nation is
home to a powerful branch of al-Qaeda, a Sunni group that is the sworn enemy of
the Houthis and a rival to the Islamic State.
A witness at the Al-Hashoosh
mosque said he was thrown 7 feet away by the explosion.
"The heads, legs and arms of
the dead people were scattered on the floor of the mosque," Mohammed
al-Ansi told the AP. Many people were injured by glass falling from the
mosque's windows, he said.
Hospitals urged residents to
donate blood to help deal with the large number of wounded, Reuters reported.
The suicide bombings come amid
ongoing violence in the country. The international airport in the southern
Yemeni port city of Aden was forced to close Thursday when forces loyal to
Yemen's former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, waged a gunbattle with security
forces loyal to the current president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. That incident
left 13 people dead.
Reuters reported warplanes
attacked Aden on Friday, targeting the presidential palace for the second day
in a row. Hadi fled to Aden last month after being put under house arrest by the
Houthis and remains the country's internationally recognized president.
Later Friday, Yemeni security
officials told AP that al-Qaeda's branch took control of the southern city of
al-Houta after security forces surrendered.
Diplomats from the United States
and several European nations fled Yemen in February amid embassy closures
resulting from deteriorating security conditions.
The State Department condemned
the recent violence, including the airstrikes that targeted the palace in Aden.
"We call upon all Yemeni
parties to return in good faith to a political dialogue to resolve their
differences," State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said in a statement.
"Political instability threatens the well-being of all Yemenis and denies
them the opportunity to live in safety, peace and prosperity.”
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