DUBAI: A bomb exploded on Friday during midday prayers at a mosque frequented by Houthi supporters in Yemen's northwestern Mahwit region, killing several worshippers and wounding others, residents said.

The blast took place in Shibam, a city about 40 km (25 miles) outside the capital Sanaa which has been an area of relative calm in the conflict-stricken country.

At least 5,600 Yemenis have been killed in seven months of war, in which Iran-allied Houthis and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh have been battling armed supporters of an exiled government backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.

That fighting continued on Friday in the southern al-Dalea region, as Houthi and Saleh fighters shelled a military base with Katyusha rockets while pressing toward the provincial capital.

Supporters of exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi responded by ambushing the rebels in their cars, killing 14 people, said medical sources.