28 die in bombing of Yemen Shiite mosque claimed by IS

9/3/2015 1:08:53 AM

(MENAFN- The Peninsula)The file picture shows wreckage of a car seen at the site of a car bomb attack in the capital Sanaa on June 29 2015 (AFP)

SANAA: A suicide bomber hit a Shiite mosque in the Yemeni capital Wednesday killing at least 28 people in the latest such attack to be claimed by the Islamic State group.

The attack came hours after the Red Cross said a gunman killed two of its Yemeni employees in the war-torn country's rebel-held north in a "deliberate" attack.

The Islamic State group said a man identified as Qusai al-Sanaani blew himself inside the mosque in the northern Jarraf district after sunset prayers.

In a statement on Twitter the radical Sunni Muslim IS added that a bomb-laden vehicle parked nearby exploded as medics arrived on the scene.

The attack was to "avenge Muslims against the Rafidah (Shiites)" said the statement.

IS which considers Shiites to be heretics has claimed similar bombings of other Shiite mosques in Sanaa as well as in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Its account of the attack was confirmed by sabanews.net the website of the Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels that control Sanaa.

Medical officials said at least 28 people were killed and 75 wounded and the rebel website said that figure was "not final".

An AFP reporter heard two loud explosions followed by many sirens as ambulances rushed to the scene.

Body parts were blown several metres (yards) away from the scene and nearby buildings were damaged witnesses said.

AFP

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