Dozens Killed by Suicide Bomber in Yemeni Capital
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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(SANAA, Yemen) — A suicide bombing in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa Monday has left at least 96 dead and more than 200 wounded.
Yemeni officials suspect a suicide bomber dressed in a military uniform set off the explosives during a large military parade rehearsal in Sanaa’s Sabeen Square, according to Mohammad Albasha, a spokesman for the Yemeni embassy in the United States. The soldiers were practicing on the eve of the nation’s unification holiday.
A witness at the scene told ABC News he had seen a soldier who was blown apart before his eyes.
Monday’s attack comes as the Yemeni military has stepped up its offensive against members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula with the assistance of U.S. unmanned drones.
In a phone call to ABC News, Ansar al-Sharia, an al Qaeda affiliate, claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying it was retaliation for the Yemeni Army’s attacks and U.S. drone strikes in the southern part of the country.
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