29 killed as militants attack Yemen Mosque during Eid prayers

At least 29 people were killed Thursday morning when a bomb went off inside a crowded Mosque in Sanaa, Yemen during the Eid celebrations.

According to a Cable News Network (CNN) report, the 29 died on the spot while multiple others were injured and rushed to various hospitals.

CNN further reported that officials fear the death toll from the attack at the Al Bilaili in Sanaa will rise since dozens of worshipers suffered severe injuries.

So far, no body has claimed responsibility of the attack which officials say was well planned and executed.

The attack is the sixth in three months in which a mosque has been targeted.

The early Morning Prayer service was meant to mark the beginning of Eid al-Adha, which commemorates the prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son for God. The holiday is one of two major ones in Islam.

In May this year, an attack in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province was the first to be claimed by the Saudi branch of the Islamic State (IS) militants, which was formally established in November 2014.

The claim was posted on Twitter with an image of the bomber by an account that is a reliable source on the group.

IS has previously threatened to attack Shia Muslims in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi health minister told state television that at least 21 people had been killed and more than 80 injured in the blast.

A doctor at the hospital said that some people had been wounded “very critically”.

In a statement published online, IS said “the soldiers of the Caliphate” were behind the attack and pledged “dark days ahead” for the Shia community. It identified the bomber as Abu Amer al-Najdi.

In a separate statement, the jihadist group also said it was behind a similar attack on a Shia mosque in neighbouring Yemen on Friday, which injured about a dozen people.