SANA’A, (Xinhua): A mosque controlled by the Shiite Houthi group in Yemen’s capital Sanaa was hit by a car bomb on Saturday, killing at least three people, a security official told Xinhua.

“At least three people were confirmed killed and seven others wounded in the car bombing attack that targeted al-Kubbah al-Khadra mosque,” Colonel Naji al-Joufi told Xinhua.

Witnesses said the mosque that includes a school and a recruiting office in central Sanaa is controlled by the Houthis. The blast took place near the eastern gate of the mosque, causing damages to nearby houses.

It is the second attack in one week. On Wednesday, the Islamic State (IS) militant group claimed four car bombing attacks against three mosques and a Houthi office in Sanaa which left 18 people killed and dozens wounded.

Security in Yemen deteriorated since 2011 when mass protests forced former President Ali Abdullash Saleh to step down. The three-year reconciliation talks failed to resolve the crisis but created huge power vacuum for the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and IS to expand their influence in the country.

The Shiite Houthi group seized the capital Sanaa by force in last September and forced President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee to Saudi Arabia in late March.

The AQAP and IS intensified attacks against the Shiite Houthi group since the Houthis started to advance into the southern regions where the terrorist groups are active.

On March 20, IS suicide bombers attacked two mosques in Sanaa and Houthi headquarters in the northern Saada province, killing at least 137 people, the most deadliest attacks in Yemen for decades.
Editor: Xiang Bo
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-06/20/c_134343462.htm