Baku-APA. An Islamic State-claimed suicide bomber and a subsequent car bombing killed at least 28 people Wednesday at a mosque in Yemen's rebel-held capital, Sanaa, amid the country's raging civil war, officials said, APA reports quoting Associated Press.
The suicide bomber blew himself up inside the mosque during the evening call to prayers, while the car bomb exploded outside an entrance, they said. Medical officials said the death toll may rise with people now in operating rooms in several hospitals.
Witnesses said the car bomb exploded while people were carrying out the wounded from inside the mosque, adding to the casualties.
One witness, Hamid Ali, said the explosions left body parts and bloodied floors in the mosque frequented by both Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Those wounded pleaded for help.
In a message circulated on social media, Yemen's local Islamic State affiliate claimed the bombing, identifying the suicide attacker as Quay al-Sanaani and saying the assault was revenge against the Shiite rebels known as Houthis that hold Sanaa. The Associated Press could not independently verify the message, though it resembled other claims of responsibility by the group and was shared by extremist sympathizers.
The Islamic State affiliate in Yemen has carried out similar attacks targeting mosques, including a series of suicide bombings on March 20 in Sanaa that killed 137 people and wounding 345.
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