Report: Dutch jihadist behind Yemen suicide bombing

By Janene Pieters on January 29, 2016 - 08:09
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Suicide bombing attack in Aden, Yemen, 28 Jan 2016 (Photo: @p_vanostaeyen/Twitter). Suicide bombing attack in Aden, Yemen, 28 Jan 2016 (Photo: @p_vanostaeyen/Twitter)

A suicide bombing in Yemen on Thursday in which at least seven people were killed, was carried by Dutch jihadist Abu Hanifa al-Hulandi, according to Belgian jihad investigator Pieter van Ostayen.

The attack happened at the home of Yemen President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, in the coastal city of Aden, NRC reports. Terrorist organization Islamic State claimed the attack and released the suicide bomber's name. According to the terrorist organization, ten people were killed and 20 injured. AFP reports eight deaths, Reuters reports seven.

Most of the victims were civilians. President Hadi was in the palace when the attacked happened, but escaped unharmed, according to RT.

It is unclear whether ISIS' claim about the Dutch suicide bomber is authentic. In October last year there were reports of a Dutch jihadist with the same name being killed in Syria by an American drone, so it seems likely that at least one of the reports is not true. The National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security told news wire ANP that this latest report could be true, but it is difficult to confirm. The deaths of jihadists in conflict areas, especially in Syria, are nearly impossible to confirm with certainty.

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