2 killed in explosion targeting civilian bus in Yemen's Taiz

ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed and 11 others injured when an explosion struck a civilian bus in Yemen's southwestern province of Taiz on Sunday, a security official told Xinhua.

"An explosion caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) targeted a civilian bus while it was passing through a main entrance leading to the besieged city of Taiz," the local security source said on condition of anonymity.

The source confirmed that the explosion partially destroyed the bus and left at least two civilian passengers killed at the scene and 11 others wounded.

"The incident occurred just a few minutes after a military motorcade passed through the same area, and it was apparently aimed at targeting a pro-government army official," he said.

Since 2015, the Houthi militia has been stationed at the main eastern, northern and western entrances to the city of Taiz, besieging the key residential neighborhoods in the strategic city, according to the Yemeni government forces.

The ongoing truce, which has been largely held, went into force for the first time on April 2 and was renewed for two months on June 2, and then extended for an additional two months on August 2 and scheduled to expire in a couple of days.

Although the truce has largely been upheld, the internationally recognized government and the Houthi group frequently swap claims of violations.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the country to the brink of starvation.