Al Qaeda Apologizes For Attack on Hospital in Yemen

Attackers were told not to assault the hospital during attack on a Ministry of Defense compound, says head of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

(CNN) -- It's something you don't often hear from the leaders of a terrorist group known for violence: We're sorry.

But that's just what the head of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula said in a video message Sunday, apologizing for a hospital attack in Sanaa earlier this month that left dozens of people dead.

The attackers were directed not to assault the hospital or mosque in an attack against a Yemeni Ministry of Defense compound on December 5, but one fighter made a mistake and attacked the hospital, leader Qassim Al-Raimi says in the video.