142 Killed in Bombings of Shi’ite Mosques in Yemen

ISIS Affiliate Claims Credit for Attacks, Vows More

At least 142 people were killed and over 350 others wounded today in a series of suicide bombings against a pair of Shi’ite mosques in the Yemeni capital city of Sanaa.

The mosques were seen as affiliated with the ruling Houthi militia, and major Islamist faction al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was quick to deny anything to do with the strikes.

Rather, a relatively small ISIS affiliate based in Yemen insisted they were responsible for the bombings, warning of an “upcoming flood” of attacks against Shi’ites across Yemen.

Experts questioned the credibility of the ISIS claim, however, noting the group’s comparatively small footprint in Yemen would make it difficult for them to carry out such an attack.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.