Drone Attack, Suicide Blast Leave 51 Dead in Yemen

Scores Also Wounded in Attack on Funeral

A US drone strike and a suicide bombing against a funeral for a tribal chief have left Yemen with another bloody weekend, with 51 people killed overall and scores of others reported wounded.

The funeral bomber targeted mourners in Jaar, in the contested Abyan Province. The attack killed 46 people, including a pro-government tribal leader and a number of other prominent officials. The attacker disguised himself as a mourner, according to a statement.

Meanwhile, a US drone attacked a vehicle in the Hadramut Province, killing five people inside. All of the victims of the attack were claimed to be members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), but none were named.

The attack in Abyan Province will leave the Yemeni military scrambling, as they claimed to have defeated all militants in the province weeks ago. Fighting over the area seems to be far from over, despite the government’s confidence.

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Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is news editor of Antiwar.com.