A bombing in a crowded mosque in Yemen’s capital killed at least 29 people attending Eid prayers Thursday.
Officials fear the death toll from the attack at the Al Bilaili mosque in Sanaa will rise, because dozens of worshippers suffered severe injuries.
The terrorist group ISIS claimed responsibility on social media for the bombing. ISIS posted the statement on Twitter and said the bombing came as “part of a series of military operations to revenge Muslims against Houthis.”
Houthi rebels are acting as the government in Yemen, having driven the internationally recognized government out of power.
Video taken after the attack showed the power of the blast.
Rubble covered the streets. A hole was blown through what appeared to be a thick cement wall. Bits of stone and plaster littered the prayer floor inside the mosque.
Blood appeared to have stained the carpet where the faithful would have been praying. And shoes, which Muslims take off before entering a mosque, remained unclaimed outside.
The attack is the sixth in three months in which a mosque has been targeted.
The early morning prayer service was meant to mark the beginning of Eid al-Adha, which commemorates the prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son for God. The holiday is one of two major ones in Islam.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tjQ4MQeFdo
