Dec. 5 (UPI) -- As many as three nationals from the Philippines were killed in Thursday's suicide attack on the Yemen ministry of defense.
The attack killed 52 people and wounded around 162 more and has been labelled the worst attack in Yemen for 18 months.
“(Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia) Amb. (Ezzedin) Tago informed me that this report of a Filipino casualty in the Sanaa attack is still being verified by our honorary Consul in Yemen,” said Foreign Affairs spokesperson Raul Hernandez in a text message to GMA News Online.
Experts believe Islamist militant group al-Qaeda could be behind the attack, though no one was stepped forward to claim it as of yet.
“Such criminal acts seeking to terrorize Yemenis will only strengthen their resolve to continue on their path of peaceful change,” Jamal Benomar, the UN special envoy to Yemen, said.
In addition to the attack, Yemen has recently banned motorbikes in its capital Sanaa to avoid drive by shootings. In the country's north, brutal sectarian clashes have been regularly taking place between Sunni and Shiite militants.
[GMA]
