Some 50 people have been either killed or injured in Yemen’s capital Sanaa after five car bombs went off near Shia mosques and the headquarters of the Houthi rebels. Islamic State has claimed responsibility, calling the attack a “revenge.”
The explosions targeted three Sanaa mosques, the Hashush mosque,
the Kibsi mosque, and the al-Qubah al-Khadra mosque, as well as
the headquarters of the Ansarullah movement of the Houthis,
Reuters reported.
The fifth explosion took place at the Al-Tayssir mosque, AFP
added, saying that the blasts went off simultaneously. The agency
said that the bomb which struck the Hashush mosque also hit the
house of a Houthi leader Taha al-Mutawakel.
Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) militants claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that it was a “revenge for the Muslims” against “the Houthi apostates.” IS supporters also reportedly exchanged celebratory messages on social media. The extremist Sunni Muslim group views Shia Houthis as heretics.
READ MORE: ISIS declares war on Shias on Arabian Peninsula – monitoring group
“The explosion was so loud I thought it was caused by an air
strike,” an elderly man named Ali told Reuters, “I returned
and found cars burning, people screaming and wounded people all
over.”
The bombs were planted near the entrances to holy sites and
detonated as worshippers arrived for prayers, witnesses told AFP.
There are conflicting reports as to the number of casualties. AFP
put the number killed at 31, adding that dozens were injured in
the blasts, while Reuters cited local officials as saying that 50
people were either killed or injured.
IS extremists, who control or operate in large parts of Iraq and
Syria, have launched a massive PR campaign posting videos of
hostage executions and other propaganda stunts online. They often
appeal to the religious feelings of Muslims, discords between the
sects of Islam, as well as to outrage caused by Western
interventions in the Middle East.