Deadly mosque bombings in Yemen
March 20, 2015
The bombers blew themselves up during noon prayers at the Badr and Al-Hashahush mosques, situated on opposite sides of the city, witnesses and officials said.
The death toll remains unclear, with some reports speaking of as many as 55 dead and dozens more wounded.
The mosques are frequented by Shiite Houthi rebels, allied with former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who have controlled the capital since September last year, exacerbating the country's political crisis.
Earlier this year, the rebels put Western-backed President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi under house arrest. Hadi later fled to the southern city of Aden, where he has strong support.
He maintains that he is still the legitimate president, despite large parts of the country being under Houthi control.
In recent months, the Houthi rebels have suffered a series of deadly attacks by Sunni al-Qaeda operatives, but no group has yet claimed responsibility for Friday's attack.
The blast comes a day after rival troops loyal to Saleh and Hadi respectively clashed in Aden, leaving 13 dead.
tj/sms (dpa, Reuters, AFP, AP)