Many of those killed in Friday's mosque blast were members of the Yemeni military [Reuters]

Fighting also erupted again overnight in Muran, northwest of Saada, where armed men attacked army posts with rockets, according to tribesmen in the region.
 
The fighting erupted following a booby-trapped motorcycle explosion that targeted a crowd of worshippers on Friday.
 
Huthis blamed

The government blamed the Huthis for Friday's blast and said six people had been arrested.

"Those who carried out this ugly crime are terrorists and criminals linked to the terrorist Abdul-Malik al-Huthi," an interior ministry statement said, referring to the brother of the late commander.
 
However, the group has denied any responsibility.

Abdul-Malik al-Huthi said: "We condemn this regrettable incident and deny categorically any role in this incident.
 
"It is not part of our ethics to target mosques or worshippers at all."

The renewed violence comes despite efforts to implement a peace deal between the government and the fighters, brokered by Qatar in June 2007.

The agreement, under which the fighters would lay down their arms, was revived during a meeting between the two sides in Doha in February.

Fighting resumes
 
In January, clashes renewed between the fighters and thousands of government troops backed by tanks, artillery and helicopters.

Saada has been the site of an uprising by members of the Zaidi community, a branch of Shia Islam, that has killed thousands of people since 2004.
 
The fighters are known as Huthis after Hussein Badr Eddin al-Huthi, their former commander, who was killed by the army in September 2004.
 
The Huthis have been fighting to restore the Zaidi imamate, which was overthrown in a coup in 1962.

Tribal leaders in the northern region say more than 30,000 residents have been displaced by the fighting.

Recommend this article...

Did you enjoy this article? Please bookmark it onto: