This photo provided by Yemen's Defense Ministry shows security forces at the scene after an explosion at the Defense Ministry complex in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013. A suicide car bomber struck Yemen's Defense Ministry Thursday, killing more than a dozen soldiers and paving the way for a carload of gunmen wearing army uniforms to storm the heavily guarded compound in the capital of Sanaa, military and hospital officials said. (AP Photo/Yemen Defense Ministry)
December 05, 2013 - 10:47 PM
CAIRO - Yemen's al-Qaida branch has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Defence Ministry that killed 52 people.
Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula's media arm, al-Mallahem, said on its Twitter account early Friday that it attacked the Defence Ministry building because it "accommodates drone control rooms and American experts."
The claim of responsibility also was posted on militant websites that usually carry al-Qaida statements.
It said security headquarters used by the Americans in their war against the Muslim nation are "legitimate targets."
The two-stage attack Thursday in Sanaa, Yemen's capital, started with a suicide car bombing that was followed by a fierce gun fight.
News from © The Associated Press, 2013