Al-Qaeda blow up 700-year-old mosque in Yemen
Al-Qaeda have grown in power as Yemen has been consumed with a fierce civil war spanning much of the Arab world's poorest nation
Suspected Al-Qaeda militants stand during a hearing at a court in the Yemeni capital Sanaa (AFP)
Published date: 7 August 2015 17:44 BST
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Last update: 9 years 3 months ago
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) on Thursday blew up a 700-year-old mosque in Yemen's south-west province of Lahj.
The Sheikh Omar Ali al-Saqaff mosque was targeted by the militants presumably on the basis that they oppose its Sufi Islam affiliation.
Al Qaeda have a far-reaching presence in Yemen, although they do not control vast amounts of territory.
The group, viewed by the United States as al-Qaeda's most dangerous branch, has grown in power as Yemen has become embroiled in a civil war supplemented by a Saudi-led coalition launching a campaign of airstrikes to push back Houthi militiamen.
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