The "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) claimed responsibility for a Monday (June 27th) wave of suicide bombings targeting Yemeni troops that killed at least 42 people in al-Mukalla, AFP reported.
Al-Mukalla "witnessed five suicide attacks in four areas", Hadramaut province governor Ahmed Saeed bin Breyk said.
Three simultaneous bombings hit security checkpoints in the port city at sunset, just as troops were breaking their fast, a security official said.
In the first attack, a suicide bomber on a motorbike asked soldiers if he could eat with them before blowing himself up, the official said.
Two other bombers approached soldiers on foot elsewhere in the city before detonating their explosives.
Shortly afterwards, two suicide bombers launched a fourth attack and blew themselves up at the entrance of an army camp, the official said.
In all, the attacks killed 40 soldiers as well as a woman and child who were passing by and wounded 37 other people, said Hadramaut's health chief Riad al-Jalili.
