The attack, which unsuccessfully targeted Yemeni Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Ahmed, killed at least 96 soldiers and wounded 222, making it one of the worst in Yemen's history.
"[8][9] According to Economist Intelligence Unit analyst Robert Powell, at the time of the bombing AQAP had long been attempting to establish a presence in Sana'a, though their cells were repeatedly broken up by authorities.
[2] According to soldiers present at the rehearsal, practice for the parade had been ongoing for the past week, with the group participating being from different branches of the military individually selected by commanders.
[22] Just before the bombing, the perpetrator was positioned in the middle of his unit whilst the soldiers were passing in front of and saluting the parade view stand where the defense minister and military chief were.
[11][8][23][24] At approximately 10 a.m. AST (UTC+03:00), the bomber detonated his belt packed with 13,000 shrapnel shards during the playing of the national anthem, minutes before the Defense Minister was set to deliver a speech.
[6] The statement, additionally posted on jihadist internet forums and the groups Facebook page, said that the bombing specifically targeted CSO forces due to their “massacres against demonstrators during the recent revolution” as well as their operations against Ansar al-Sharia.
"[16][27] He offered condolences to the families of soldiers killed in the blast and those participating in the offensive while saying that the attackers "wanted to turn the joy of our people with the unity day into sorrow.
"[9] While at a news conference during the 2012 NATO summit in Chicago, President Obama assured continued cooperation with the Yemeni government to counter AQAP, calling it important for the safety of Yemen, the wider region and the United States.
He added that "this tragic event underlines the scale of the security challenge facing the Yemeni government as it seeks to introduce key reforms and work towards completing political transition".
[36] Minister of State for International Development Alan Duncan said that the "terrible suicide bombing" had served as a reminder for the challenges faced by Yemen, and that foreign support for the country needs to be maintained in order for further progress against terrorism.
[37] In a statement published by the Élysée Palace, French President François Hollande condemned the attack in the "strongest terms", labeling it "barbaric" and expressessing solidarity with the victims and the Yemeni government.
[41][42][43][40] Gulf Cooperation Council secretary-general Abdul Latif al-Zayani phoned President Hadi to express his condolences and "stressed that the GCC States will spare no effort to back Yemen in order to achieve the desired stability and development.
"[26] Organization of the Islamic Cooperation secretary-general Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu "voiced hope that the Yemeni national unity government would be able to continue its efforts to stabilize the country and restore peace at an early date.
"[11] Jane Ferguson of Al Jazeera described the attack as a "huge blow" and "ruthlessly symbolic", viewing AQAP as a more modern and menacing replacement to Yemen's southern separatists.
[49] The New York Times said that the attack would likely weaken the morale of Yemeni security forces, which had already been low due to poor pay, ill treatment, insufficient training and corruption.
[16] Hours after the initial blast, Sana'a authorities arrested two men at a nearby park wearing suicide belts loaded with 13 kilograms (28.6 pounds) of explosives, reportedly attempting to conduct another attack.
[54] On 11 September 2012, AQAP again attempted to assassinate the Yemeni defense minister in Sana'a through a car bombing, though he survived the attack which instead killed seven of his bodyguards and five civilians.