Yemen Interior reveals the name of Al-Sabeen Square suicide bomber

By Fatik al-Rodaini

SANA'A, May 23, 2012- Yemen's Interior Ministry revealed Wednesday night the identity of the suicide bomber, who carried out the suicide bombing on Yemeni troops last Monday while they were on a parade rehearsal for celebration.

The ministry said on its website the suicide bomber of Al-Sabeen Square bombing is Ameen-Addin Ali Al-Wirafi, he was born 1987, in al-Mashed district of Sana'a.

According to the website the suicide bomber was in the wanted list as a criminal for committing terrorist crimes in Sana'a, Mareb, and Hadhramout provinces.

''We are still investigate on this case to know who is behind the attacker,'' the ministry added.

A Yemeni newspaper close to the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh stated on Tuesday that the suicide bomber of Al-Sabeen Square bombing in which hundreds of troops were killed and wounded was an Al-Qaeda prisoner.

Alyaman Alyawam Newspaper (Yemen Today) in which the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh wrote an article, said that the name of the bomber is Ameen-Addin Ali Al-Wirafi and that he is originally form Ibb governorate.

The newspaper said that Al-Warafi was imprisoned on charges of connection to Al-Qaeda.

Nashwan News, a Yemeni online newspaper, said that Al-wrafi was sentenced to five years in prison in 2007 after he was convicted of affiliation to Al-Qaeda, and preparation to carry out suicide bombings against government facilities in Marib and Hadhramout in 2006.

Nashwan News wondered how Al-Wirafi was recruited in the Central Security while he was an Al-Qaeda suspect.

About 96 soldiers were killed and 300 others were wounded at a military parade rehearsal on Monday.

Most of the casualties were from the Central Security Organization - a paramilitary force commanded by Yahya Saleh, a nephew of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Minister of Defense Mohammad Nasser Ahmed and Chief of General Staff Ahmed Ali Al-Ashwal who were present escaped uninjured.

Al-Qaida's branch in Yemen claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying that the suicide attack was intended to avenge a U.S.-backed offensive against al-Qaida in southern towns seized by the militant movement last year.

The UN Security Council has condemned "in the strongest terms" the suicide bombing, described the attack as a "heinous act" and vowed to combat "all forms of terrorism".