Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) secretary general strongly denounced the missile attack on a mosque in Marib Province while Yemeni President Abdrabbou Mansour Hadi described the ‹terrorist attack' on the mosque in Yemen's military base in the province as ‘ugly.' GCC Secretary General Dr. Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al-Zayani, in a strongly worded statement, condemned the missile attack carried out Friday by Houthi and Saleh militias on a mosque in Sirwah Governorate, in Marib Province, which resulted in the martyrdom and wounding of scores of innocent worshipers. In a statement to Saudi Press agency (SPA), Al-Zayani stressed that the rocket attack is a heinous terrorist crime which is incompatible with the principles of Islamic (Shariah) law and international law, stressing that targeting places of worship and shedding the blood of innocent people are terrorist crimes and represent a dangerous escalation, which cannot be justified or tolerated. Dr. Al-Zayani stressed the GCC stands by the Yemeni government, calling upon the international community to condemn such heinous terrorist crimes. He also expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and the Yemeni government and people, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) too strongly condemned the missile strike against a mosque in. OIC Secretary General Dr. Yusuf Bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen said that this missile strike is a heinous terrorist act that contradicts Islamic values and the sanctity of life. He stressed that killing innocent people and targeting one of the Houses of Allah is a criminal act that is not committed by anyone but those who have shed all religious, moral and humanitarian values. Al-Othaimeen expressed condolences to the families of the victims. Meanwhile, Al-Arabiya English reported, Hadi described the ‹terrorist attack' on a mosque in Yemen's military base in Marib province as ‘ugly.' He pointed out that the killing methods pursued by Houthi militias cannot be tolerated, and that they represent all the aspects of terrorism. At least 34 civilians and military personnel were killed in a Houthi attack on the mosque during Friday prayers, local officials reported. Houthi militias fired two Katyusha-type missiles at the mosque located inside the military camp of Kofal in the west of Marib, officials said. Yemeni Minister of Endowments and Guidance Ahmad Attiyah said that the targeting of the mosque is considered a war crime and that the Houthi militias cannot justify the crime. Houthi news agency Saba admitted to the militia carrying out the attack and bombing the mosque using heavy artillery. This is not the first time Houthi militias have targeted mosques in Yemen causing massacres and bloodshed. — SG
