2013 Yemeni Ministry of Defense attack
| Yemeni Ministry of Defense attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Yemeni crisis and the al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen | |
Smoke rising from the Ministry of Defense complex. | |
| Location | Bab al-Yemen neighbourhood, Sana'a, Yemen |
| Coordinates | 15°20′59″N 44°12′43″E / 15.34966°N 44.21202°E |
| Date | 5 December 2013 c. 9:00 a.m. – c. 4:30 p.m. AST (UTC+03:00) |
| Target | Al-Oradi hospital in the Yemeni Defense Ministry complex |
Attack type | Suicide car bombing, mass shooting |
| Weapons | SVBIED, assault rifles, grenades, RPG's |
| Deaths | 52 |
| Injured | 167 |
| Perpetrators | Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula |
No. of participants | 12 |
| Motive | United States drone strikes in Yemen |
On 5 December 2013, a coordinated terrorist attack occurred targeting the Ministry of Defense complex in Sana'a, Yemen. Heavily armed militants utilized a car bomb to breach the gates of the complex before storming it and occupying a hospital within it. The attack, which killed 52 people and injured 167, was claimed by Ansar al-Sharia, an affiliate of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). AQAP later issued an apology for the attack after footage from within the hospital was broadcast showing the gunmen murdering medical personnel.