Car Bomb Targets Residence of Iranian Ambassador in Sanaa

Local Editor

Three people were killed on Wednesday when a suicide attacker drove a car laden with explosives at the residence of the Iranian ambassador in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, security officials and paramedics said.

The blast punched a large hole in the building and sent rubble flying across the street of the well-guarded diplomatic quarter of the city, one of witness said.

Yemeni soldiers and paramedics arrived at the scene with stretchers. Abdullah Mahmoud, a soldier, said Yemeni and Iranian guards had been killed and a paramedic at the scene said three dead bodies and three wounded had been taken from the area.

Ambassador Hassan Sayed Nam was not in the house when the attack took place in the diplomatic district of Hada, guards said.

Ansarullah rebels took control of Sanaa in September and fanned out across the country, clashing with tribesmen and also with Yemen's local branch of al-Qaeda.

The United States and Yemen's Gulf neighbors say Iran is meddling in the impoverished state. Iran denies interfering in Yemeni affairs.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team