SANAA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- A suspected al-Qaida car bomb attacked late Sunday a gathering of the Shi'ite Houthi rebels who had seized a government compound in Yemen's northern Al-Jouf province, killing at least 14 rebels and injuring others, a security official said.
"At least 14 Shi'ite Houthi rebels were killed and about five others were severely injured when a suspected al-Qaida car bomb hit the main gate of the Shi'ite-seized government compound in Matamma district in the northeast province of Al-Jouf," the official of the Interior Ministry told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
"The suicide attack bore the hallmarks of the resurgent al- Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)," the official noted.
However, the media office of the Houthi-led Shi'ite rebels in the northern Saada province said in a statement that at least one of the Shi'ite armed follower was killed and some others were wounded in the attack. The rebels accused the United States of being behind it.
The bombing came one day after the Shi'ite Houthi rebels agreed on a truce deal with the Sunni-devoted main opposition Islamic Islah party, which appointed a non-government governor for the Al- Jouf province after it was seized in March.
The Islamic Islah party issued a statement, denying any role in the suicide bombing which it described as a "terrorist attack."
