Somber Yemen parade takes place after huge bomb attack

(Reuters) - Yemeni soldiers marched in a National Day parade on Tuesday as the president watched from behind a bullet-proof glass shield in a show of defiance after a bomber killed more than 90 troops in an attack on the ceremony's rehearsal.

A somber mood hung over the event, meant to celebrate the 1990 unification of north and south Yemen, but it passed off without any repeat of Monday's bloodshed despite militant threats to carry out more attacks.

The bombing, one of the deadliest in Yemen in recent years, was a setback in its battle against Islamists linked to al Qaeda and heightened U.S. concerns over a country in the front line of Washington's global war on militants.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and its affiliate Ansar al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law) both claimed responsibility.

Heavy security surrounded President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and senior civilian and military officials as they watched Tuesday's parade, which was moved from the scene of the attack at Sabaeen Square to the air force academy in Sanaa. Read More