At least 96 people were killed in a deadly attack in the middle of an army battalion in Sanaa in Yemen.
Reports say a suicide bomber wearing Yemeni soldier uniform detonated explosives under his uniform in the middle of an army battalion in the capital Sanaa, killing dozens of troops.
The Al-Qaeda reported claimed it was responsible for a suicide bombing.
The United States of America today expressed condemnation on today’s terrorist attack against Yemeni military forces.
On his statement today at DC, Acting Spokesperson Mark C. Toner
extended America’s deepest condolences to the friends and families of the scores killed and wounded in the attack.
He says the cowardly attack highlights the lengths to which al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula will go to wreak havoc in Yemen and beyond.
“The United States remains committed to a comprehensive strategy that emphasizes governance and economic development as well as counterterrorism efforts in Yemen.”-Mr. Toner
The United States will continue to support President Hadi and the Yemeni people as they work to realize their aspirations for a brighter and more prosperous future, Mr. Toner underlined.
Earlier this month, Yemen’s army launched an offensive to retake Al-Qaeda towns and cities held by extremists across Abyan. Reports say 158 Al-Qaeda fighters have been killed in the battles.
Reports say Yemen is increasingly a source of concern for the United States and other Western countries as the mixing of civil discontent and regional actors makes it vulnerable to terror groups such as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Shi’ite Houthi rebels.
In addition to fighting an ongoing civil war with the secessionist Houthis, the country has become a breeding ground for AQAP.
AQAP has been behind attacks on Yemeni soil and has used the country as a launching pad for terror attacks elsewhere.
In addition to the terror threat and domestic instability, Yemen faces poverty and severe oil and water shortages.
On February this year, Yemen’s new President Abbed Rabbo Mansour al-Hadi took his oath of office in parliament, formally removing Ali Abdullah Saleh from power after 33 years.
Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi ran in the uncontested race, a deal brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council to neutralize the conflict engulfing the country.
It is estimated that the recent political turmoil in Yemen, part of a wave of protests across the Middle East and North Africa calling for social, economic and democratic reforms, has led to more than 82 deaths and hundreds of injuries.
