Yemeni president "target of suicide attack"

Yemeni security sources have claimed that officials close to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh were involved in the double suicide attack against the Defence Ministry in the capital Sanaa on Thursday. The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Arab 21 News that current President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, who was at the ministry at the time, was the intended target.

It is not known if the specific role of the officials was to be involved directly in the operation or if it was limited to allowing Al-Qaeda fighters access to the ministry without being stopped by security guards. Al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP) has claimed responsibility for the attack which left 56 people dead and more than 215 wounded.

Arab 21 published a report criticising the results of the official investigation into the attack; some observers are also sceptical about the alleged Al Qaeda involvement. The criticism included a clear reference to the support of influential parties who had lost their privileges under the new president and seek to destabilise Yemen, meaning supporters of the ousted regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.