A powerful bomb blast targeting Shiite militia fighters in central Yemen left dozens dead Wednesday in what appeared to be one of the biggest attacks yet in the country's escalating unrest.
Yemen has been rocked by fresh instability since the Shiite fighters, known as Huthis, seized control of the capital Sanaa in September.
The Huthis have since been expanding their presence throughout the Arabian Peninsula nation but are facing fierce resistance from local Sunni tribes and Al-Qaeda's powerful Yemeni branch.
Their rise has challenged the authority of President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, an ally of the United States, and violence has continued despite UN-backed efforts to find a political solution.
The blast hit a large gathering of Huthis at the residence of a local tribal chief in the central town of Rada, a mixed Shiite-Sunni town that has seen heavy fighting, military and tribal sources said.
The explosion was the heaviest to hit Rada since the Huthis took over parts of the town last month, the military source said.
Residents said the dawn bombing was powerful enough to be felt across the town.
Both the military and tribal sources said dozens were killed, but a more accurate toll was not immediately available.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack or details of how it was carried out.
Al-Qaeda claimed twin attacks at the weekend that it said killed dozens of Huthi fighters in Rada.
The instability in Yemen has raised fears that the country, next to oil-rich Saudi Arabia and key shipping routes from the Suez Canal to the Gulf, could become a failed state along the lines of Somalia.
The chaos stems from the 2012 overthrow of longtime strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been accused of backing the Huthis, also known as Ansarullah.
Saleh is a member of the Zaidi sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam to which the Huthis belong.
Washington on Monday hit Saleh and two Huthi commanders with sanctions, accusing them of "engaging in acts that directly or indirectly threaten the peace, security, or stability of Yemen."
- Drone strike kills Qaeda militants -
The UN Security Council previously approved sanctions against the three men.
A new Yemeni cabinet, including members considered close to the Huthis, was sworn in on Sunday in a bid to resolve the political crisis, despite calls for a boycott from both Saleh and the Shiite militia.
But authorities have made no move to tackle the militia in Sanaa or impose order in other parts of the country.
Yemen is an important US ally in the fight against Al-Qaeda. The group's Yemeni branch is considered one of its deadliest and has organised attacks against Western targets.
A suspected US drone strike killed seven Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen's south Wednesday, the defence ministry and tribal sources said, the latest in a series of raids against the extremist network.
The militants were hit by the strike while gathered "under a group of trees" in the village of Azzan in the southern province of Shabwa, a tribal source said.
The defence ministry said in a brief statement on its website that seven Al-Qaeda militants were killed in an air raid Wednesday in Azzan.
"Those killed were planning to carry out a terrorist attack in Azzan using a bomb-laden vehicle," it said, without confirming that the strike was carried out by a US drone.
Drone strikes against Al-Qaeda suspects in Yemen have intensified this month, with at least 20 militants killed in raids by unmanned aircraft in the central province of Baida on November 3.
The United States is the only country operating drones over Yemen, but US officials rarely confirm individual strikes.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) had announced the death of two of its top commanders, Shawki al-Baadani and Nabil al-Dahab, in recent raids.
A powerful bomb blast targeting Shiite militia fighters in central Yemen left dozens dead Wednesday in what appeared to be one of the biggest attacks yet in the country’s escalating unrest.
Yemen has been rocked by fresh instability since the Shiite fighters, known as Huthis, seized control of the capital Sanaa in September.
The Huthis have since been expanding their presence throughout the Arabian Peninsula nation but are facing fierce resistance from local Sunni tribes and Al-Qaeda’s powerful Yemeni branch.
Their rise has challenged the authority of President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, an ally of the United States, and violence has continued despite UN-backed efforts to find a political solution.
The blast hit a large gathering of Huthis at the residence of a local tribal chief in the central town of Rada, a mixed Shiite-Sunni town that has seen heavy fighting, military and tribal sources said.
The explosion was the heaviest to hit Rada since the Huthis took over parts of the town last month, the military source said.
Residents said the dawn bombing was powerful enough to be felt across the town.
Both the military and tribal sources said dozens were killed, but a more accurate toll was not immediately available.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack or details of how it was carried out.
Al-Qaeda claimed twin attacks at the weekend that it said killed dozens of Huthi fighters in Rada.
The instability in Yemen has raised fears that the country, next to oil-rich Saudi Arabia and key shipping routes from the Suez Canal to the Gulf, could become a failed state along the lines of Somalia.
The chaos stems from the 2012 overthrow of longtime strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been accused of backing the Huthis, also known as Ansarullah.
Saleh is a member of the Zaidi sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam to which the Huthis belong.
Washington on Monday hit Saleh and two Huthi commanders with sanctions, accusing them of “engaging in acts that directly or indirectly threaten the peace, security, or stability of Yemen.”
– Drone strike kills Qaeda militants –
The UN Security Council previously approved sanctions against the three men.
A new Yemeni cabinet, including members considered close to the Huthis, was sworn in on Sunday in a bid to resolve the political crisis, despite calls for a boycott from both Saleh and the Shiite militia.
But authorities have made no move to tackle the militia in Sanaa or impose order in other parts of the country.
Yemen is an important US ally in the fight against Al-Qaeda. The group’s Yemeni branch is considered one of its deadliest and has organised attacks against Western targets.
A suspected US drone strike killed seven Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen’s south Wednesday, the defence ministry and tribal sources said, the latest in a series of raids against the extremist network.
The militants were hit by the strike while gathered “under a group of trees” in the village of Azzan in the southern province of Shabwa, a tribal source said.
The defence ministry said in a brief statement on its website that seven Al-Qaeda militants were killed in an air raid Wednesday in Azzan.
“Those killed were planning to carry out a terrorist attack in Azzan using a bomb-laden vehicle,” it said, without confirming that the strike was carried out by a US drone.
Drone strikes against Al-Qaeda suspects in Yemen have intensified this month, with at least 20 militants killed in raids by unmanned aircraft in the central province of Baida on November 3.
The United States is the only country operating drones over Yemen, but US officials rarely confirm individual strikes.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) had announced the death of two of its top commanders, Shawki al-Baadani and Nabil al-Dahab, in recent raids.
