Al Qaeda Responsible for Yemen Suicide Bombing
On Monday, the sect of Al Qaeda located in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa that killed 96 soldiers as they got ready for a military parade. The admission came in the form of a statement on jihadist Internet forums, which said the assault targeted the defence minister and other leaders of the US war on Abyan people.
The parade was aimed at highlighting efforts of the country’s interim leader to pull Yemen and its divided armed forces together. It was due to be held on Tuesday (today), which is the 12th anniversary of the unification of North and South Yemen.
In the attack, a suicide bomber went into the middle of an army battalion in Sanaa. Aside from the 96 troops, another 300 were injured in the bombing. Hours following the attack, President Abd Rabbuh Mansur al-Hadi has vowed that the war on terror will continue until it’s totally destroyed - no matter the sacrifices.
A Yemeni government official says that evidence suggests the suicide bomber was wearing a vest with shrapnel inside it, which is why so many people died. It’s also been said that the blast was so powerful, there wasn’t much forensic evidence for investigators to work with. Investigators think that an underwear bomb alone couldn’t have done all the damage. They haven’t ruled out Ibrahim al Asiri being involved. This is the bomb-maker who organised the last three major plots against the US.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has also confirmed that three civilian contractors, who were helping train the coast guard in Yemen, were attacked on Sunday. They had been travelling in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida in a car when they were shot at by militants in another car. Defense Department spokesman Bill Speaks says their injuries were minor.