Local Editor

Two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a mosque in Yemen’s capital of Sanaa on Thursday, the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday, martyring 25 people and causing many casualties, witnesses and medics said. The so-called "Daesh" ["ISIL"] extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack. 

The attack happened in the al-Balili mosque in the al-Safya district, the Ansarullah group’s website said.

The "Daesh"-claimed attack came as Muslims around the world celebrated Eid al-Adha - the feast of sacrifice - which Muslims mark by prayers in congregation at mosques.

Witnesses said that after a first blast inside the mosque, a suicide bomber detonated an explosives belt at the entrance as worshipers rushed outside.

Over the past months, the "Daesh" extremist group has conducted several bomb attacks against mosques in Sana’a. 

A car bomb went off near Qubat al-Mahdi Mosque in the Old City of Sana’a on June 20, killing three people and injuring seven others. The attack also inflicted damage on the mosque and nearby buildings. On July 17, several blasts targeted three mosques as well as the political office of the Houthi Ansarullah movement in Sana’a, killing at least 31 people.

The attack came as a Saudi-led coalition backed by the United States has been carrying out a military aggression on Yemen by launching airstrikes against the country since March 26. The airstrikes have not been authorized by the United Nations [UN].