Off the wire
Indian stocks close at 5-week low  • 2nd LD Writethru: 2 killed, 7 injured in Pakistan Karachi's mosque blast  • Dynamo Kiev advances to UEFA Europa League quarterfinals  • S. African bill to constrain foreign private security companies sparks debate  • Singaporean student suspected of posting fake annoucement of Lee Kuan Yew's death  • Vietnam targets 3 golds in wushu events at SEA Games 28  • One more suspect arrested for assisting in Copenhagen shootings  • Roundup: VN-Index on Vietnam's southern market plunges on heavy sell-offs  • (Recast) Roundup: At least 30 killed, 150 injured in railway mishap in northern India  • Roundup: Nikkei closes week up 0.43 pct. as wage hikes continue to inspire, BOJ, GPIF add support  
You are here:   Home

2nd LD: 55 killed in two suicide bombings on mosques in Yemen's capital

Xinhua, March 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

Two suicide bombers attacked two mosques in Yemen's capital of Sanaa during Friday prayers, killing at least 55 people and wounding dozens of others, a security official told Xinhua, raising fears that the Arab country is slipping into a sectarian war.

The bombers detonated explosives at the two mosques controlled by the Shiite Houthi group, the official said on condition of anonymity, adding that most of the dead were supporters of the Houthi group.

The first attack hit prayers at Badr mosque in southeastern Sanaa, killing 35 people, while the second bombing occurred at Hashoush mosque in northeastern areas, killing at least 20 others, he said.

The Shiite Houthi group took over control of Sanaa in last September and met strong resistance in the central and southern regions by powerful Sunni tribes and Sunni-dominated al-Qaida network.

On Thursday, tribal militia fought against security forces supported by the Houthi group in the southern port city of Aden, the second biggest city in the country, killing at least 15 people.

This is the second bombing attack in Sanaa this year after an al-Qaida car bombing attack against the police academy killed at least 50 cadets on Jan. 7. Endit