White House says cannot confirm that Yemen attackers affiliated with Islamic State

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States cannot confirm the claim that the attackers in Yemen were affiliated with Islamic State militants, the White House said on Friday. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said there was no clear operational link between the people who carried out a bomb attacks in Yemen on Friday, killing 126, and Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria. (Reporting by Julia Edwards; Editing by Eric Beech)