40 killed in car bomb targeting followers of Houthi rebels in N. Yemen

SANAA. November 26. KAZINFORM At least 40 people were killed on Friday when a car bomb hit followers of Houthi-led Shiite procession in Yemen's northern province of Saada, second of its kind in less than three days, a local councilman said; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.

At least 40 Houthi-led Shiite rebels' followers were killed and several others wounded early Friday in Sihaar district in Saada when a suicide bomber drove his car into a Shiite convey in their way to the funeral of Bader al-Deen al-Houthi, a spiritual leader of the Houthis who died on Thursday, the councilman told Xinhua.

Bader al-Deen al-Houthi, the father of Saada-based rebel commander Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, who waged an on-and-off uprising against the government in the northern restive province of Saada, was confirmed dead on Thursday, aged 86.

The convey of Shiite followers came from neighboring Marib province, southwest of Saada. "Some witnesses said the suicide car bomb was coming with the convoy of about 20 cars from Marib," the councilman said on condition of anonymity.

"Houthi rebels have cordoned off the whole area and prevented local authorities from entering the area to investigate the deadly attack," he added.

Earlier, a security official of the Sanaa-based Interior ministry told Xinhua that at least nine people were injured in the car bomb explosion. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

On Wednesday, a car bomb explosion hit a Yemeni Shiite convoy in the country's northern province of al-Jouf on Wednesday, killing at least 16 people including the attackers, a local councilman told Xinhua.