June 2016 Mukalla attacks

On 28 June 2016, a coordinated series of attacks struck Mukalla, the capital of Hadhramaut province in Yemen. Officials reported a death toll of at least 43 people, with around 37 injured. The Islamic State (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attacks, stating that eight suicide bombers had killed 50 people, though the officially confirmed toll was lower. Al-Qaeda was initially suspected of being behind the violence before ISIL's claim emerged.

The attacks were carried out during Ramadan and specifically targeted Yemeni soldiers who were fasting, timed to strike shortly before they were due to break their fast. In addition to soldiers, civilians — described as mostly passers-by — were among those killed. Authorities indicated at the time that the death toll was expected to rise.

According to accounts of the events, there were at least six separate attacks involving eight suicide bombers, with the possibility that additional attackers were also involved. The first attack occurred when a suicide bomber asked soldiers if he could join them for a meal before detonating his explosives. A second attack involved two suicide bombers who similarly approached soldiers before detonating in two separate incidents. A further attack saw two more suicide bombers detonate explosives at the entrance to an army camp. In another incident, a suicide bomber forced his way into an area where soldiers were preparing to break their fast, detonating explosives that caused substantial damage.

Other bombings were carried out by attackers who posed as distributors of Iftar (the evening meal that breaks the Ramadan fast), handing out food before detonating explosives. There were also reports of militants concealing bombs inside food boxes, as well as militants storming a police station, which led to gun-battles breaking out across the city.

The Mukalla attacks were described as part of a broader pattern of attacks targeting soldiers and police officers in urban areas of Yemen during this period, occurring against the backdrop of the ongoing Yemeni Civil War. No named individuals have been identified as convicted, charged, or otherwise adjudicated in connection with these attacks in the available sourcing.