National
Seven Spanish tourists die in Yemen suicide bomb attack
By m.p/h.b. - Jul 3, 2007 - 8:36 AM
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The Foreign Ministry has confirmed that seven Spanish tourists have died in a car bomb explosion in Yemen, and that another six Spanish nationals were injured in the terrorist attack. One of the injured is said to be seriously hurt.
Three others were killed in the blast: two Yemeni guides and the suicide bomber who caused the explosion, also from Yemen.
The attack came at 5.30 local time on Monday afternoon as the tour group was returning to the Yemeni capital, Saná, in a convoy of four 4-wheel drive vehicles with a security escort at both the head and the rear of the convoy. They were just 100 metres away from the ancient temple of the Queen of Sheba in Mareb province, in the northeast of the country, around 170 kilometres from the capital city.
Reuters quoted sources in the Yemeni security forces saying that it could be a terrorist attack related to Al Qaeda.
The Spanish Ambassador in Yemen, Marcos Vega, travelled to the scene to gather first-hand information, as did a representative from Spain’s Embassy in Saudi Arabia.
El Mundo reports that the Yemeni President, Ali Abdula Saleh, has contacted the Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, to offer his condolences for Spain’s loss.
The Foreign Minister, Miguel Moratinos, said on Monday evening that the Prime Minister, his Deputy, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, and the King of Spain are being kept constantly informed.
The secretary of state for foreign affairs, Bernadino León, together with Joan Clos, Minister for Industry, Tourism and Commerce, were meanwhile due to fly out to bring the bodies of the dead back home to Spain for burial.
Four of the dead are from Cataluña, two from the Basque Country and one from Burgos.
The 13 members of the group left Spain last Saturday for a tour of Yemen entitled ‘The Hidden Arabia’: it was due to last until 4th July.
Meanwhile the Minister for Defence, José Antonio Alonso, has announced the Government is to change the way that military victims are decorated in Spain. The changes will give the victims of terrorist violence the same possibilities of decoration as those to fall in military action.