At least 24 Houthi followers were killed and four injured in a suicide attack that targeted their convoy while on its way to mark Day of Al-Ghadir, Eid Al-Ghadir, in northeastern Yemen on Wednesday.
Tribal sources said an explosives-laden car was detonated while the victims were heading to the celebration site in the Al-Zahir area, Jawf. A huge explosion was heard and the killed included Houthi leaders, they said.
The authorities did not comment on the incident.
Spokesman for the Houthi Group, which fought the army for almost six years in the far north and with which the government reached a ceasefire early this year, said there were no other incidents as the group's followers marked the Day in Saada. Our celebration took place peacefully, he said.
On the Day, Shia Muslims commemorate installing Ali ibn Abi Talib as the Imam of Muslims. Some call the Day Day of Wilayat referring to the imam's installation and the Islamic position of this issue.
The suicide attack occurred as Al-Qaeda has recently stepped attacks across the republic, mainly striking military and security targets in southern and southeastern regions.
On Tuesday, reports surfaced that Al-Qaeda detainees in the Central Prison in Sana'a attacked Houthi detainees, beating them and leaving some of them in critical condition.