4 bombs explode in old Sana'a, Shiite militiaman killed

Four bombs hit the center of Yemen's capital Sana'a, mainly controlled by Shiite militiamen since September, killing one of them and wounding two, a doctor said.

The first explosion went off in the walled old city of Sana'a when one of the militiamen known as Houthis tried to defuse a bomb on the underside of a car. He died in hospital, according to a medic.

Another three bombs planted in garbage bins in the same Bustan al-Sultan neighborhood then exploded within intervals around five minutes but no one was injured.

Ali al-Emad, a Houthi spokesperson blamed al-Qaeda for the bombing describing the attack as "vengence" for recent Houthi incursions into al-Qaeda-held territory east of the capital. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Houthis, a predominantly Shiite movement who fought authorities for a decade in their northern stronghold, overran Sana'a on 21 September and have since consolidated and expanded southward along the Red Sea.

Supporters of the movement see the Houthis as correcting the wrongs of the transition agreement after Yemen's 2011 uprising which preserved the power and corruption of old regime elites. They praise the movement's willingness to confront corruption, combat al-Qaida and fill a security vacuum left by a feckless government.

Opponents say the Houthis are an Iran-backed militia and accuse them of aligning with former President Saleh in a marriage of convenience to gain power.

Saudi Arabia increasingly views the Houthis as Iranian proxies and has reportedly suspended the bulk of its financial assistance to Yemen. Support from the Kingdom has kept the country's economy afloat to the tune of at least $4 bn since 2012.