Special to WorldTribune.com

Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) is now claiming responsibility for a deadly attack in Yemen that sources initially said was carried out by Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

The attack on an army base in the eastern region of Hadramawt on Nov. 20 killed at least 19 Yemeni soldiers and 35 jihadists.

ISIL’s Yemen affiliate has launched attacks on both Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi-led forces in recent months. ISIL is also said to be responsible for a suicide bombing in Aden in September that killed dozens.

A statement posted online by ISIL said the terror group had killed nearly 50 soldiers in the Nov. 20 attack and that its only casualty was the jihadist who carried out the attack via a car bombing.

Some observers initially believed AQAP had launched the attack as it had controlled the southern Hadramawt city of Mukalla and surrounding areas for most of this year. AQAP, however, has not attacked army positions in the province for months, sources say.

The Yemeni army in Hadramawt remains loyal to President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, whose government Saudi Arabia is seeking to restore.

  Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, Hadramawt, ISIL claims attack on Yemen base credited to Al Qaida; More than 50 dead, WorldTribune.com