Yemen suicide bomber kills 33

A bomber dressed as a woman has blown himself up, killing 33 in central Yemen.

A suicide bomber dressed as a woman killed 33 people in central Yemen when he blew himself up at a celebration by Shi'ite militia supporters, medical and security sources say.

Dozens of people were also wounded in the attack in the mainly Sunni but Huthi militia-held city of Ibb, the medics said, warning that the death toll was likely to rise.

Yemen has been dogged by instability since an Arab Spring-inspired uprising forced longtime strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh from power in 2012, with Shi'ite Huthi rebels and Al-Qaeda seeking to fill the power vacuum.

Among those wounded in Wednesday's attack was Ibb governor Yahya al-Aryani, who was attending the Huthis' commemoration of the Prophet Mohammed's birthday, a medic said.

A security source told AFP that the bomber had been wearing a woman's black abaya and veil when he detonated his suicide belt.

Another bomb was discovered at the entrance to the event's venue, the source added.