Houthi militants inside the al-Balili mosque after a suicide bomber hit the mosque in Sanaa, Sept. 24. Photo: Reuters

SANAA— A suicide bomber struck a mosque in Yemen’s Houthi-held capital on Thursday, killing 25 worshippers during prayers for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. 

The Yemen-based ISIS affiliate claimed responsibility for the blast, saying it was targeting the country’s Shi’a rebels.

The explosion, which also wounded dozens of worshippers, tore through the al-Bolayli mosque in the morning hours, according to Yemeni security officials. The mosque is located in an area where many residents support the Houthis, who have controlled Sanaa since last September.

The ISIS claim of responsibility came in a statement circulated on Twitter by the extremist militant group’s supporters. 

Security officials said the suicide bomber placed an explosive device in his shoe, causing an initial explosion. As worshippers rushed to the door, he detonated himself in the middle of the crowd, they said. 

Witnesses told Reuters that the bomber was dressed as a woman.

There were puddles of blood and debris outside the mosque, whose ornate facade was damaged by the blast. Police and some Houthi fighters came to inspect the aftermath. Eid al-Adha is a major Muslim holiday, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice.

Yemen has been torn by a ferocious war pitting the Houthis and forces fighting for former President Ali Abdullah Saleh against fighters loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, as well as southern separatists, local militias and religious extremists.

Also Thursday, four children and an adult were killed when Houthis and their allies fired mortar shells into a residential neighborhood in the city of Taiz, independent security officials and health officials said. At least 21 civilians were wounded, they said, also speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.

The war in Yemen escalated in March when the Saudi-led coalition launched a campaign involving air strikes and ground troops against Shiite Houthi rebels and their allies. More than 2,100 civilians have been killed, according to U.N. estimates. The coalition recently has sought to retake rebel-held Sanaa.

“Such attacks against places of worship, or civilians anywhere, cannot be justified by any cause,” Ban said.

-AP, Reuters, TAAN