Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan on Recent Violence in Yemen

The United States strongly condemns today’s horrific terrorist attacks in Yemen that reportedly killed over 130 people and left hundreds of others wounded.  We express our condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims.  This unconscionable attack on Muslim worshipers during Friday prayers only further highlights the depth of the terrorists’ depravity and the threat they pose to the people of Yemen, the region, and the world.  Today’s attacks underscore that terrorism affects all Yemenis and that Yemen and its people must remain unified to confront these challenges. 

We also strongly condemn the airstrikes yesterday against the Presidential Palace in Aden and attacks on the legitimate government of Yemen, led by President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi.  We urge all Yemeni parties to halt unilateral and offensive military actions.  We continue to believe that the only path forward for Yemen is through a peaceful political solution. We call upon all Yemeni parties to return in good faith to a political dialogue to resolve their differences and believe that all of Yemen’s diverse communities must participate peacefully in the nation’s democratic process.  We urge renewed commitment to a peaceful political transition consistent with the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative, the National Dialogue Conference outcomes, relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the Yemeni constitution.