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March 2015 Sanaa mosque bombings

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2015 Sana'a mosque bombings
Part of the Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)
Location of Sana'a in Yemen
LocationYemen Sana'a, Sana'a Governorate, Yemen
Date20 March 2015 (2015-03-20) (UTC+03:00)
TargetShia worshippers
Attack type
Quadruple suicide bombing[1]
Weaponsbombs with syths
Deaths142[2]
Injured351[3]
Perpetrators Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant[4] (claimed responsibility)

The 2015 Sana'a mosque bombings were four suicide attacks targeting two mosques on 20 March 2015 in Sana'a, Yemen.[1][5]

The attack

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The al-Badr and al-Hashoosh mosques came under suicide attack during midday prayers.[6] The blasts killed 137 people and wounded more than 357, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in Yemen's history.[7][8][9] One suicide bomber blew up outside the gate of al-Badr mosque when he was caught by militia guards, and the second detonated his device among fleeing people inside the mosque. Another pair of bombers blew up at Al-Hashoosh mosque.[10][11]

The targeted mosques are linked to the Houthis, a group of the Zaidiyyah sect of Shia Islam. The Houthis deposed the Yemeni government earlier in 2015 after they took control of Sana'a the previous year.[12]

Responsibility

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The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) Yemen branch claimed responsibility for the attack.[4] In a recording released by the group, they stated: "IS soldiers will not rest until they stop the Safawi [Iranian] operation in Yemen.”[13]

According to Bruce Riedel of the Brookings Institution, the bombings were more likely carried out by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).[14] AQAP denied this, citing instructions from Ayman al-Zawahiri to not attack mosques or markets. If ISIL was responsible, these would be the first attacks it carried out in Yemen.[15]

Reactions

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The U.S. Department of State called for a stop to any military actions, to be followed by a diplomatic solution. Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary General, demanded that all sides "immediately cease all hostile actions and exercise maximum restraint."[16]

On 23 March, an Iranian Airbus A310 of Mahan Air loaded with 13-ton package of humanitarian aids as well as aid workers of Iranian Red Crescent landed at Sanaa. On its departure from Yemen, 52 wounded people of the bombings were transferred to Tehran to receive treatment. Iran's deputy ambassador Rasai Ebadi said more aid would come soon.[17][18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Death toll hits 142 from attacks in Yemen mosques". Al Bawaba. 20 March 2015. Archived from the original on 22 March 2015.
  2. ^ "Yemen mosque bombings 'could only be done by the enemies of life'". Guardian. 21 March 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  3. ^ "Yemen: 120 killed in 2 mosque attacks in capital". CNN. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Yemen crisis: Islamic State claims Sanaa mosque attacks". BBC News. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  5. ^ Ghobari, Mohammed; Mukhashaf, Mohammed (20 March 2015). "Suicide bombers kill 137 in Yemen mosque attacks". Reuters. Archived from the original on 22 March 2015.
  6. ^ "Yemen crisis: Suicide attacks hit Sana'a Houthi mosques". BBC. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  7. ^ "Scores killed in suicide attacks on Yemen mosques". Al-Jazeera. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  8. ^ "Yemen: over 100 dead in suicide bombings at Houthi mosques in Sana'a", by The Guardian
  9. ^ Hakim Almasmari & Asa Fitch (20 March 2015). "Yemen Division of Islamic State Claims Suicide Bomb Attacks That Killed Scores". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  10. ^ "Yemen's Islamic State Affiliate Claims Sanaa Attacks". The New York Times. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  11. ^ "Yemen mosque bombings death toll hits 77". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  12. ^ "46 Killed, 100 Injured in Suicide Attacks on 2 Yemen Mosques". The New York Times. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  13. ^ Aya Nader (21 March 2015). "Egypt strongly condemns Islamic State attacks in Yemen". Daily News Egypt. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  14. ^ Noah Rayman (20 March 2015). "ISIS Claims Role in Yemen Attack, But Some Say Al Qaeda Likelier". TIME.com. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  15. ^ "BBC News – Yemen crisis: More than 100 die in attacks on Sanaa mosques". BBC News. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  16. ^ "Yemeni IS Group Claims Sana'a Mosques Blasts". VOA. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  17. ^ "First Iran flight lands in Shiite-held Yemen capital". The National. 1 March 2015. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017.
  18. ^ "Iran Jet Loaded with Humanitarian Aid Lands in Yemen". Almanar News. 23 March 2015. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
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