7 civilians killed in bombing ‘blunder’

YEMENI air force jets hit an al-Qaeda stronghold town in the south of the country, killing seven civilians when they mistakenly struck the wrong mosque, a local official said yesterday.

“The Yemeni air force accidentally shelled a mosque in Jaar, killing seven people and wounding five others,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

“The air force hit the grand mosque in Jaar whereas the target was a small mosque held by suspected al-Qaeda militants [on the edge of the town],” said the official.