IS claims responsibility for Yemen mosque attack

The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for Thursday's bomb attack which killed worshippers at a mosque in Yemen's Houthi-held capital, killing 25 and wounding dozens more during prayers for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, medics said.

The blast happened in the Balili mosque where Houthi Shia militiamen who control Sanaa go to pray, according to witnesses.

Witnesses reported that after a first blast inside the mosque, a suicide bomber detonated an explosives belt at the entrance as worshippers rushed outside.

In recent months, Sanaa has been shaken by a string of bombings by the Islamic State (IS) militants which have also claimed bombings of mosques in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi militiamen have seized several regions of Yemen including Sanaa which they overran a year ago.

Pro-government forces backed by Saudi-led air strikes have recently managed to wrest back some southern provinces, including Yemen's second city of Aden.

IS and the Yemen-based branch of its rival Al-Qaeda have exploited the turmoil to boost their activities in the impoverished country.