Blast at Yemen mosque kills 18, wounds 60

by Rob Walker | May 2, 2008 at 07:46 am

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At least 18 people were killed and 60 wounded when a bomb hidden under a vehicle went off as worshippers left a mosque in Yemen's northern city of Saada.

Most of the killed and wounded were police officers who had been praying in the mosque. The area is a volatile region that has been plagued by violence since conflict broke out in 2004 between government forces and rebels.

Around 15 people were killed and more than 60 wounded on Friday when a bomb hidden in a motorcycle exploded outside a mosque in Yemen's volatile northern city of Saada where army officers were praying.
The blast occurred as worshippers left the Salman Mosque after Friday prayers, officials and security sources said.

It was not known who planted the bomb near the door of the mosque, but the northwestern province has been rocked by sporadic violence since a conflict broke out in 2004 between government forces and rebels loyal to Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.

Eighteen people, mostly soldiers, were killed in Yemen on Friday when a blast blamed by authorities on Shiite insurgents exploded at the entrance to a mosque in the rebels' stronghold.

A booby-trapped motorcycle exploded as hundreds of Muslim faithful were leaving the Bin Salman mosque in the northwestern town of Saada after Friday prayers, according to military sources at the site.

Forty-five people were wounded.

Around 15 people were killed and more than 60 wounded on Friday when a bomb hidden in a motorcycle exploded outside a mosque in Yemen's volatile northern city of Saada where army officers were praying.

The blast occurred as worshippers left the Salman Mosque after Friday prayers, officials and security sources said.