This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-30706208
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 7 | Version 8 |
|---|---|
| Yemen bomb blast kills dozens near Sanaa police academy | Yemen bomb blast kills dozens near Sanaa police academy |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| At least 37 people have been killed and 66 others injured by a bomb blast outside a police academy in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, police say. | At least 37 people have been killed and 66 others injured by a bomb blast outside a police academy in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, police say. |
| Two men were seen getting out of a minibus and walking away shortly before it exploded beside dozens of people queuing to enrol at the academy. | Two men were seen getting out of a minibus and walking away shortly before it exploded beside dozens of people queuing to enrol at the academy. |
| Afterwards, body parts and debris from the bus were strewn across the street. | Afterwards, body parts and debris from the bus were strewn across the street. |
| There has so far been no claim of responsibility, but an offshoot of al-Qaeda has carried out similar attacks. | There has so far been no claim of responsibility, but an offshoot of al-Qaeda has carried out similar attacks. |
| Yemen has experienced a wave of violence in recent months, with militants from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) battling Shia Houthi rebels who have taken control of the capital. | Yemen has experienced a wave of violence in recent months, with militants from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) battling Shia Houthi rebels who have taken control of the capital. |
| 'Catastrophic situation' | 'Catastrophic situation' |
| Wednesday's bombing took place early in the morning in a central part of Sanaa near the central bank and the defence ministry building. | Wednesday's bombing took place early in the morning in a central part of Sanaa near the central bank and the defence ministry building. |
| The explosion was heard across the city and a large plume of smoke was seen rising from the scene. | The explosion was heard across the city and a large plume of smoke was seen rising from the scene. |
| The victims included many cadets at the police academy as well those waiting to enrol, and passers-by, officials said. | The victims included many cadets at the police academy as well those waiting to enrol, and passers-by, officials said. |
| "We were all gathering and... [the minibus] exploded right next to all of the police college classmates," Jamil al-Khaleedi told the Associated Press. "It went off among all of them." | "We were all gathering and... [the minibus] exploded right next to all of the police college classmates," Jamil al-Khaleedi told the Associated Press. "It went off among all of them." |
| A paramedic at the scene described the situation as "catastrophic". | A paramedic at the scene described the situation as "catastrophic". |
| "We arrived to find bodies piled on top of each other," he told Reuters news agency. | "We arrived to find bodies piled on top of each other," he told Reuters news agency. |
| Some initial reports said the attack was a suicide bombing. | Some initial reports said the attack was a suicide bombing. |
| But police spokesman Brig Abdul Aziz al-Qadasi told the state news agency Saba the driver of the minibus and another person were seen getting out of the vehicle and fleeing the scene before the blast. | But police spokesman Brig Abdul Aziz al-Qadasi told the state news agency Saba the driver of the minibus and another person were seen getting out of the vehicle and fleeing the scene before the blast. |
| Weak government | Weak government |
| The US embassy in Yemen condemned the attack, saying it "reveals the nihilistic vision and depravity of terror groups operating in Yemen". | The US embassy in Yemen condemned the attack, saying it "reveals the nihilistic vision and depravity of terror groups operating in Yemen". |
| Yemeni security forces personnel have been targeted many times by AQAP in the past four years. A suicide bomber killed more than 90 people in 2012 at a military parade in the capital and an assault on a military hospital a year ago left more than 50 dead. | Yemeni security forces personnel have been targeted many times by AQAP in the past four years. A suicide bomber killed more than 90 people in 2012 at a military parade in the capital and an assault on a military hospital a year ago left more than 50 dead. |
| The jihadist group has exploited the chaos and instability that has resulted from the uprising that forced longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh from power in 2011. | The jihadist group has exploited the chaos and instability that has resulted from the uprising that forced longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh from power in 2011. |
| His successor, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, has ordered a series of military offensives on AQAP strongholds, but its members have been able to withdraw to remote, mountainous regions where they are protected by local tribes wary of the government. | His successor, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, has ordered a series of military offensives on AQAP strongholds, but its members have been able to withdraw to remote, mountainous regions where they are protected by local tribes wary of the government. |
| President Hadi has also been weakened by the Houthi rebels from the northern province of Saada, who triggered a political crisis in September when they overran security forces in the capital and forced him to form technocratic government and reverse unpopular subsidy cuts. | President Hadi has also been weakened by the Houthi rebels from the northern province of Saada, who triggered a political crisis in September when they overran security forces in the capital and forced him to form technocratic government and reverse unpopular subsidy cuts. |
| The rebels were supposed to withdraw from Sanaa, but they have instead expanded their presence in central and western Yemen, triggering fierce clashes with AQAP and Sunni tribesmen. | The rebels were supposed to withdraw from Sanaa, but they have instead expanded their presence in central and western Yemen, triggering fierce clashes with AQAP and Sunni tribesmen. |
| Last week, a suicide bomb attack on Houthi supporters in Ibb left as many as 49 people dead. | Last week, a suicide bomb attack on Houthi supporters in Ibb left as many as 49 people dead. |