Militants allied with al Qaeda fired rockets at Yemen 's largest military airbase Thursday , claiming they were aiming at U.S. targets at the facility . Ansar al Sharia , an al Qaeda affiliate , claimed responsibility for the attack , saying on Twitter that its fighters targeted the U.S. section within Al Anad airbase in retaliation for attempts the United States made to rescue American hostage Luke Somers . Yemeni Defense Ministry officials said six rockets were fired at the airbase in the country 's southwest . They could n't give an exact number of casualties but said some Yemeni troops were wounded . No militants were reported to have been captured or killed in the aftermath of the attack . One rocket exploded near an oil storage facility , which resulted in a fire but no major damages . The rockets missed their intended targets , a Yemeni Defense Ministry official said . Somers and another hostage , South African Pierre Korkie , were both killed in a failed U.S. military raid on militants over the weekend .
Ansar al Sharia , an al Qaeda affiliate , claims responsibility for the attack . - The U.S. State Department says it is investigating a possible link between the attacks and Al Qaeda.