| 2015 Sana'a mosque bombings | |
|---|---|
| Part of theYemeni Civil War (2014–present) | |
 Location of Sana'a in Yemen | |
 Interactive map of 2015 Sana'a mosque bombings | |
| Location |  Sana'a,Sana'a Governorate,Yemen |
| Date | 20 March 2015 (2015-03-20) (UTC+03:00) |
| Target | Shia worshippers |
Attack type | Quadruplesuicide bombing[1] |
| Weapons | bombs with syths |
| Deaths | 142[2] |
| Injured | 351[3] |
| Perpetrators |  Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant[4](claimed responsibility) |
The2015 Sana'a mosque bombings were foursuicide attacks targeting two mosques on 20 March 2015 inSana'a,Yemen.[1][5]
The al-Badr and al-Hashoosh mosques came under suicide attack during midday prayers.[6] The blasts killed 137 people and wounded more than 357, making it the deadliestterrorist attack in Yemen's history.[7][8][9] One suicide bomber blew up outside the gate of al-Badr mosque when he was caught by militia guards, and the second detonated his device among fleeing people inside the mosque. Another pair of bombers blew up at Al-Hashoosh mosque.[10][11]
The targeted mosques are linked to theHouthis, a group of theZaidiyyah sect ofShia Islam. The Houthisdeposed the Yemeni government earlier in 2015 after theytook control of Sana'a the previous year.[12]
TheIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)Yemen branch claimed responsibility for the attack.[4] In a recording released by the group, they stated: "IS soldiers will not rest until they stop theSafawi [Iranian] operation in Yemen.”[13]
According toBruce Riedel of theBrookings Institution, the bombings were more likely carried out byal-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).[14] AQAP denied this, citing instructions fromAyman al-Zawahiri to not attack mosques or markets. If ISIL was responsible, these would be the first attacks it carried out in Yemen.[15]
TheU.S. Department of State called for a stop to any military actions, to be followed by a diplomatic solution.Ban Ki-moon, theUnited NationsSecretary General, demanded that all sides "immediately cease all hostile actions and exercise maximum restraint."[16]
On 23 March, anIranianAirbus A310 ofMahan Air loaded with 13-ton package of humanitarian aids as well as aid workers ofIranian Red Crescent landed at Sanaa. On its departure from Yemen, 52 wounded people of the bombings were transferred to Tehran to receive treatment. Iran's deputy ambassador Rasai Ebadi said more aid would come soon.[17]