Large terrorist attack in the Republic of Yemen

PRESS RELEASE

On the 5 December a large terrorist attack was committed in Sana, the capital city of the Republic of Yemen. Militants dressed like military persons, blew up mined cars near the buildings of the ministry of defence, as well as near the military hospital located in its territory. Terrorists broke into the building of the hospital, opened fire on medical personnel and patients. According to the incoming data, the total number of persons killed reached 52, whilst more than 160 persons received injuries of varying severity. There were no Russian nationals among the victims. Yemeni law enforcement agencies conducted an operation to clean up nearby residential quarters.

We decisivelycondemn this terrorist sortie. We express our condolences to the families of the dead, and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. We confirm our solidarity with the government of Yemen in their fight against extremists to counteract terrorism.

Russia will continue to provide Yemeni partners with the necessary assistance, including in ensuring security in the country in the bilateral format, and within the framework of our co-presidency of the EU, in the Work Group on the national dialogue in Yemen. We are convinced that the settlement of the problems faced by the country is possible only through ways of finding nation-wide consensus decisions, taking into consideration the interests of all the political forces and religious groups of the population.

6 December 2013