Portland, Oregon (TA)- The government of Morocco voiced its disapproval for the March 20 bombings of several mosques in and around the Yemeni capitol of Sana’a by Islamic State militants. The bombings killed a total of 137 people – a number of them young children – and wounded 357, according to reports.
The blasts struck two Shia mosques in Sana’a frequented by members of the Houthi tribal-rebel group, which controls nine of the country’s 21 administrative provinces. The attack was perpetrated by seven suicide bombers who allegedly disguised themselves as disabled or injured worshippers and hid explosive devices underneath their clothing, according to Saba, Yemen’s state-run news agency.
Many Yemenis said they view the attacks as an act of genocide -calling the murders “ethnic cleansing” against people in Shia tribes.”It’s so hateful – it’s racist,” one Sana’a resident said. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks on Twitter -marking the first time Da’esh committed mass-murder in Yemen since it claimed to establish a cell in the Arabian country November 2014.
Meanwhile, much of the Muslim world is growing increasingly concerned as Da’esh and other criminal organizations continue to destabilize countries in Arabia and the Levant. In the wake of the Friday bombings, Yemeni President Abd-Rabbuh Mansour Hadi fled the capitol city to Aden.
The government of Morocco, a Muslim nation applauded by the West for its relentless pursuit of radical Islamists and their sympathizers, responded by issuing a statement Saturday condemning the deadly attacks and expressing its condolences to the victim’s families.
In the statement, the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation called upon the men of Yemen to restore the rule of law.
“Put an end to the acts of aggression and to contain the situation in order to avoid a degeneration into an ideological conflict,” the statement said.
It’s the personal responsibility of the Yemeni people to put aside their personal grudges and focus on the continuing development of the country, the statement concluded.
The statement from Rabat came merely a month after news broke that Moroccan law enforcement officials had successfully arrested three Sidi Bennour men accused of being members of Da’esh.
At least 1,500 Moroccans are believed to be fighting on behalf of the group in Syria, Libya and other countries, according to government estimations.
