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| Photo credit Reuters/Khaled Abdullah |
Monday’s attacks on the Yemeni military parade rehearsals in Sana’a can only be described as a heinous and cowardly act aimed at disrupting the country’s newfound stability.
According to the Defense Ministry, yesterday’s explosion is the deadliest the capital has seen in years, killing 96 people and wounding more than 220. It is believed the attacks were targeting Minister of Defense Maj. Gen. Mohammed Nasser Ahmed who had arrived at the scene of the rehearsals minutes before the bomb was detonated by a man dressed in military uniform.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and its affiliate Ansar al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law) both claimed responsibility, saying the attack was in response to the military offensive in the southern Abyan province that was seized by militants in 2011.
President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi announced on state TV that "the war on terrorism will continue until we win, whatever the sacrifices are."
The United Nations Security Council and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the attack stating the “criminal act cannot be justified by any cause”. U.S. President Barack Obama said he was also very concerned about extremist activity in Yemen and pledged more aid to support the new government’s counterterrorism efforts.
SAVE strongly supports Yemen’s struggle to establish a democratic government and bring an end to violent extremism and terror in the country. Especially in light of the long year of courageous uprisings led by the Yemeni people, which resulted in the resignation of Former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Tawakkol Karman, the first Arab woman to receive the international honor.
We hope this tragic incident will only serve to further unite Yemenis and give them strength and motivation to consolidate their country’s transition towards full democracy.
According to the Defense Ministry, yesterday’s explosion is the deadliest the capital has seen in years, killing 96 people and wounding more than 220. It is believed the attacks were targeting Minister of Defense Maj. Gen. Mohammed Nasser Ahmed who had arrived at the scene of the rehearsals minutes before the bomb was detonated by a man dressed in military uniform.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and its affiliate Ansar al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law) both claimed responsibility, saying the attack was in response to the military offensive in the southern Abyan province that was seized by militants in 2011.
President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi announced on state TV that "the war on terrorism will continue until we win, whatever the sacrifices are."
The United Nations Security Council and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the attack stating the “criminal act cannot be justified by any cause”. U.S. President Barack Obama said he was also very concerned about extremist activity in Yemen and pledged more aid to support the new government’s counterterrorism efforts.
SAVE strongly supports Yemen’s struggle to establish a democratic government and bring an end to violent extremism and terror in the country. Especially in light of the long year of courageous uprisings led by the Yemeni people, which resulted in the resignation of Former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Tawakkol Karman, the first Arab woman to receive the international honor.
We hope this tragic incident will only serve to further unite Yemenis and give them strength and motivation to consolidate their country’s transition towards full democracy.
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