13 Shia rebels killed in Yemen bombings

Sanaa, Sep 12 (IANS/EFE) At least 13 members of the Shia rebel Houthi movement were killed in a series of bomb attacks in Yemen Thursday.

Three bomb explosions struck the Yemeni city of Amran, north of the capital Sanaa, killing movement's followers and leaving others injured.

An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) concealed in a trash container exploded just as a Houthi rally was passing through Amran. The attack killed three Houthi rebels.

Six Houthi fighters were killed and others were injured when another IED targeted one of the movement's patrol vehicles in the city's southern suburbs.

In a third attack, four members died when a roadside bomb exploded as their car was passing by a city market.

The Houthi movement controls Amran since July, and has for months been locked in battle against the national army and pro-government tribal forces.

The group's leader, Abdel Malek al-Houthi, threatened Tuesday to resort to "strategic options" if the authorities did not respond to their demands to restore fuel subsidies and dismiss the government.

The Houthis, who took up arms against the government in 2004 led by Hussein al-Houthi, the father of the current leader, have since 2010 controlled the northern province of Saada and have been attempting to expand into other areas.

--IANS/EFE

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