ISIS Claims Credit as Yemen Mosque Bombing Kills 28

Bombing Targeted Shi'ite Mosque in Sanaa

Adding to the soaring sectarian tensions and civilian death toll in war-torn Yemen, a pair of bombers, one a suicide bomber and the other detonating a vehicle, attacked a Shi’ite mosque in the capital city of Sanaa today killing at least 28 people and wounding 75 others.

The suicide bomber detonated inside the mosque, and the car bomb was detonated later, while people were trying to carry wounded people from inside into the crowded parking lot. This appears to have been timed to maximize casualties in the attack.

Following the bombing, the Shi’ite Houthi forces that control the capital were out in force, setting up military checkpoints across the city to try to prevent any further attacks. There have been several bombings against Shi’ite mosques over the summer.

And as usual, ISIS was quick to claim credit for today’s attack. Though Yemeni ISIS is a relatively small faction, the group has been very aggressive in attacking the Shi’ites in Yemen, particularly in and around the capital, and has been responsible for a series of major bombings.

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.