Explosion hits funeral ceremony in northern Yemen, 5 killed

About five people were killed and 20 others injured when an explosion ripped through a funeral camp Friday in the northern Yemeni province of Marib, east of the capital Sanaa, a military official told Xinhua.

"Two bombs exploded inside a camp attended by scores of people who were present to offer condolences after the death of a high-ranking military leader killed by Houthis a few days ago in Marib province," the local military source said on condition of anonymity.

Initial reports suggested that the explosion which targeted the funeral service left more than 20 people injured at the scene, the source added.

Two brothers of the killed commander of the Third Military Region in Marib, were among the victims in the explosion, local sources said.

Meanwhile, in the country's temporary capital of Aden, tens of thousands of southern Yemenis went out to the streets for the 53rd anniversary of the 14th October revolution against British occupation.

The huge demonstrations raised slogans calling for south Yemen independence and demanded an end to the 1990 unification with north Yemen.

The situation in Yemen has deteriorated economically and politically since March 2015, when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullash Saleh, and the government backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.

Houthis and Saleh's forces hold most of Yemen's northern regions while government forces backed by Saudi-led military coalition share control of the rest of the country including seven southern provinces.

The civil war, ground battles and airstrikes have already killed more than 10,000 people, half of them civilians, injured more than 35,000 others and displaced over two million, according to humanitarian agencies. Endit