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Car bomb kills 9 near mosque in Yemen's capital

Xinhua, July 29, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least nine people were killed when a car bomb went off near a mosque controlled by supporters of the Shiite Houthi group in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Wednesday, medics and witnesses said.

The booby-trapped car exploded as the worshippers were coming out from al-Harazi mosque on Rammah street in western Sanaa, a witness said.

A medic in a nearby hospital told Xinhua that nine people were killed and six others were in critical condition.

The Islamic State (IS) group quickly released a brief statement on Twitter, claiming responsibility for the car bombing attack.

"In an operation in revenge for Muslims against the Shiite Houthis, we exploded an explosive-laden car near a mosque controlled by supporters of the Houthi group, killing and injuring many of them," the group said.

IS has launched a series of bombing attacks against the Houthis in Sanaa since June, killing dozens of Houthi fighters and several senior officials.

The security situation in Yemen has deteriorated since 2011 when mass protests forced President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. The reconciliation talks that started in 2012 failed to resolve the crisis, but created a huge power vacuum for the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the IS to expand their influence in the country.

The Shiite Houthi group seized the capital Sanaa by force last September and forced President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee to Saudi Arabia in late March. They advanced into the southern regions where AQAP and IS are active, which sparked violence.

Saudi-led coalition forces have been air striking the Houthi group and forces loyal to Saleh on a daily basis since March 26, while pro-Hadi tribal fighters resisted the Houhtis' military operations in the southern regions.

The coalition announced a five-day humanitarian pause as of Sunday midnight which was breached by all warring parties. Enditem