Jaʿār munitions factory explosion
Encyclopedia
A munitions
factory explosion took place on March 28, 2011, in the village of Khanfar, Abyan
, bordering the town of Jaʿār in Abyan Governorate, southern Yemen
.
on al-Qaeda. Following clashes near the town of Jaʿār, the Yemeni Air Force bombed the area earlier in the day of the explosion. During the same day, President of Yemen
Ali Abdullah Saleh
announced an end to government concessions given amidst ongoing protests in the country, although it was not immediately known whether the explosion was connected to the protests.
militants raided the "7th of October" ammunition plant in the town, stealing cases of ammunition and leaving gunpowder exposed at the site; militants took over another nearby munitions factory in Khanfar. According to Al Jazeera
, the initial fire was reportedly triggered by a local resident dropping a lit cigarette while inside the looted factory, as some were checking the site for weapons, which soon led to an explosion. It was loud enough to be heard roughly 15 km (9.3 mi) from the factory, and left many charred bodies at the scene.
and AFP
, 78 people died in the explosion, while The Independent
said that "more than 100" people died, and CNN
said that "[a]t least 121" were killed. By the day after the incident, the death toll had been increased to 150. An accurate death toll was reportedly difficult to establish, due to the condition of the bodies, many of which were badly burned. 45 people were reported injured, 27 of whom were, according to officials at a local hospital, in critical condition after the incident. Some of the injured were taken to Jaʿār for treatment, while others received treatment at a hospital in Aden
.
Saleh al-Samty placed blame on the national government for creating a lack of order in southern Yemen caused by heightened security countrywide. The Joint Meeting Parties opposition group (JMP) blamed the incident on government military withdrawal in the south.
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
factory explosion took place on March 28, 2011, in the village of Khanfar, Abyan
Khanfar, Abyan
Khanfar is a village that is a southern suburb of Jaʿār in the Abyan Governorate of south-western Yemen. It is said to be inhabited by Yafa peoples.-History:...
, bordering the town of Jaʿār in Abyan Governorate, southern Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
.
Background
The explosion occurred during a period of high insurgency from rebel forces and Islamist movements in Southern Yemen, in addition to an ongoing government crackdownYemeni al-Qaeda crackdown
The Yemeni al-Qaeda crackdown refers to military operations by the Yemeni government and the United States government against al Qaeda and related targets in Yemen as part of the Global War on Terror. The crackdown began in 2001 and escalated on January 14, 2010 when Yemen declared open war on al...
on al-Qaeda. Following clashes near the town of Jaʿār, the Yemeni Air Force bombed the area earlier in the day of the explosion. During the same day, President of Yemen
President of Yemen
The President of the Republic of Yemen is the head of state of Yemen.Under the Constitution of Yemen, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Yemeni government....
Ali Abdullah Saleh
Ali Abdullah Saleh
Field Marshal Ali Abdullah Saleh is the first President of the Republic of Yemen. Saleh previously served as President of the Yemen Arab Republic from 1978 until 1990, at which time he assumed the office of chairman of the Presidential Council of a post-unification Yemen. He is the...
announced an end to government concessions given amidst ongoing protests in the country, although it was not immediately known whether the explosion was connected to the protests.
Incident
The blast occurred a day after around 30 armed al-QaedaAl-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
militants raided the "7th of October" ammunition plant in the town, stealing cases of ammunition and leaving gunpowder exposed at the site; militants took over another nearby munitions factory in Khanfar. According to Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
, the initial fire was reportedly triggered by a local resident dropping a lit cigarette while inside the looted factory, as some were checking the site for weapons, which soon led to an explosion. It was loud enough to be heard roughly 15 km (9.3 mi) from the factory, and left many charred bodies at the scene.
Casualties
Estimates of the number of casualties were not immediately clear. According to the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and AFP
Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet...
, 78 people died in the explosion, while The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
said that "more than 100" people died, and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
said that "[a]t least 121" were killed. By the day after the incident, the death toll had been increased to 150. An accurate death toll was reportedly difficult to establish, due to the condition of the bodies, many of which were badly burned. 45 people were reported injured, 27 of whom were, according to officials at a local hospital, in critical condition after the incident. Some of the injured were taken to Jaʿār for treatment, while others received treatment at a hospital in Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
.
Reaction
Abyan's Deputy GovernorDeputy Governor
A Deputy governor is a gubernatorial official who is subordinated to a governor, rather like a Lieutenant governor.-British colonial cases:In the British empire, there were such colonial offices in :...
Saleh al-Samty placed blame on the national government for creating a lack of order in southern Yemen caused by heightened security countrywide. The Joint Meeting Parties opposition group (JMP) blamed the incident on government military withdrawal in the south.