2012 Unity Day parade rehearsal bombing
| Unity Day parade rehearsal bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Yemeni crisis and the al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen | |
Bodies of Yemeni soldiers immediately after the bombing | |
| Location | Al-Sabeen Square, al-Sabeen District, Sana'a, Yemen |
| Coordinates | 15°19′22″N 44°12′17″E / 15.32278°N 44.20472°E |
| Date | 21 May 2012 10:00 AST (UTC+3) |
| Target | Yemeni soldiers and Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Ahmed |
Attack type | Suicide bombing |
| Deaths | 96 |
| Injured | 222 |
| Perpetrators | Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula |
| Motive | Response to the 2012 Abyan offensive |
On 21 May 2012, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt among groups of Yemeni soldiers rehearsing for the annual Unity Day military parade in Sanaa, Yemen. An 18-year-old soldier recruited as a suicide bomber entered al-Sabeen Square in uniform and joined his Central Security Organization brigade midway through the rehearsal. As the soldiers were passing by the parade view stand, the bomber detonated his explosive belt. The attack, which unsuccessfully attempted to target Yemen's Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Ahmed, killed at least 96 soldiers and wounded 222, making it one of the worst in Yemen's history. The bombing was claimed by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula affiliate Ansar al-Sharia.