In a country synonymous with war, it’s easy to forget that Yemen is also home to a sizable slice of humanity and one of the largest Muslim communities in the Middle East. That community was hit on Friday when two missiles struck a mosque and a religious school, killing at least 29 people and injuring more than 100, according to the country’s minister of civil defense Mohamed al-Qubati. He told Reuters that most of the casualties were civilians in the port city of Hodeida.
As the Associated Press reported, parts of the mosque were destroyed by the blast and the building was also significantly damaged. Afterwards, members of the security forces attempted to extinguish fires caused by the explosions, and established a tent where members of the public could lie on the ground and rest, as hospitals were not yet able to treat everyone. Four planes were seen heading to the area and it was later confirmed that the military had dropped a large number of bomb in the area.
In a country with an estimated 8 million people already displaced from their homes by war, the discovery of dozens of bodies on the ground is particularly shocking. As the ministry of civil defense released a video of the aftermath, one man can be seen arriving at the site and saying, “With his blood they [the victims] worship today.”
Several schools in Yemen are located in Hodeida, the scene of recent bombing. The country’s capital of Sanaa is currently under the control of Shiite rebels, known as Houthis. On Thursday, a U.S. soldier was killed in combat operations in Yemen.
Read the full story at Reuters.
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