Car bombs rock Yemen

In central Sanaa, a car bomb was detonated near a hospital and a mosque, killing "numerous" people, according to Yemen's state-run news agency Saba. The explosion in al-Bayda killed at least ten people.

Witnesses said that the bomb at the al-Raoudh mosque in southeast Sanaa went off as worshippers were leaving after evening prayers. AFP reported that a security official had confirmed the attack, saying the "bomb-rigged car had been parked near the al-Raoudh mosque."

The capital of Sunni-majority Yemen has been under the control of the Shiite Houthi rebels since last September, encountering sectarian violence on an increased scale. In al-Bayda, meanwhile, four rebels were reported as killed and ten wounded in a suicide car bombing, which appeared to have targeted a police station in the rebel-held city.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday's twin bombings, but news reports stressed that it bore similarities to another attack three weeks ago, which had been claimed by the "Islamic State" (IS).

According to Saba, Saudi-led coalition air strikes and ensuing clashes killed at least 176 fighters and civilians in Yemen on Monday, which would make it the highest daily death toll since the Arab air offensive began more than three months ago. Other sources, however, think the number might be considerably lower. Coalition warplanes continued to bomb rebel-held positions on Tuesday in and around Yemen's second city Aden, military officials said.

The United Nations has been pushing for a halt to the air raids. More than 3,000 people have reportedly been killed since the start of the conflict, with over one million displaced.

ss/jr (AFP, Reuters)