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26 April 2024

Blast at mosque during Eid prayers kill 25

Published
By AFP

An explosion rocked a mosque in Yemen's rebel-held capital on Thursday during prayers for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, killing at least 25 people and wounded dozens.

The blast happened in the Balili mosque near a police academy in Sanaa, which is controlled by the Huthi insurgents, according to witnesses, some of whom reported dead and wounded.

The Yemeni capital has been shaken by a string of bombings of mosques in recent months claimed by the Daesh millitant group.

The radical group considers a certain sect of Muslims to be heretics and has also claimed bombings of mosques in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

The Huthi rebels have seized several regions of Yemen including Sanaa which they overran a year ago.

Pro-government forces backed by Saudi-led air strikes have recently managed to wrest back some southern provinces, including Yemen's second city of Aden.

Daesh and the Yemen-based branch of its militant rival Al-Qaeda have exploited the turmoil to boost their activities in the impoverished country.