Story highlights
Ansar al Sharia, an al Qaeda affiliate, claims responsibility for the attack
Yemeni Defense Ministry officials say some of their troops were wounded
Militants allied with al Qaeda fired rockets at Yemen’s largest military airbase Thursday, claiming they were aiming at U.S. targets at the facility.
Ansar al Sharia, an al Qaeda affiliate, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying on Twitter that its fighters targeted the U.S. section within Al Anad airbase in retaliation for attempts the United States made to rescue American hostage Luke Somers.
Yemeni Defense Ministry officials said six rockets were fired at the airbase in the country’s southwest. They couldn’t give an exact number of casualties but said some Yemeni troops were wounded.
No militants were reported to have been captured or killed in the aftermath of the attack.
One rocket exploded near an oil storage facility, which resulted in a fire but no major damages. The rockets missed their intended targets, a Yemeni Defense Ministry official said.
Somers and another hostage, South African Pierre Korkie, were both killed in a failed U.S. military raid on militants over the weekend.
Journalist Hakim Almasmari reported from Sanaa, and Jethro Mullen wrote from Hong Kong.