‘Double blast’ suicide bomber kills at least 25 as they pray at mosque

A bomb attack targeting Shiite worshippers at a mosque in Yemen’s capital on Thursday killed at least 25 people and injured dozens more. The blast happened in the Balili mosque where Huthi Shiite rebels who control Sanaa go to pray. The suicide bomber placed an explosive device in his shoe, causing an initial explosion, security officials said. As worshippers rushed to the door, he detonated himself in the middle of the crowd. Other witnesses have claimed there were two bombers.

We gathered to rescue the wounded. The situation is very painful and blood is everywhere.

Witness Nayef, who lives nearby

The attack happened during prayers for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. There were puddles of blood and debris outside the mosque, whose ornate facade was damaged by the blast. In a social media post, the Yemen branch of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria claimed responsibility for the attack, which also injured 36 people. ISIS, made up of radical Sunni Muslims, considers the Iranian-backed Shiites, who have seized several regions of Yemen including Sanaa, to be heretics.

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