A suicide bomber killed at least 33 people in central Yemen on Wednesday when he blew himself up at a cultural centre where students were celebrating Prophet Mohammad's birthday, medical sources and a resident said.

They said at least 33 bodies, including women and children, had been transferred to two hospitals in the city of Ibb.

The governor of Ibb province, controlled by the Shi'ite Muslim Houthi group that dominates Yemen, was reported to be among a number of people wounded in the attack, local residents said.

In a text message, the state Saba news agency cited the head of Ibb's police as saying three people had died and 30 had been wounded.

Residents reported there was a second explosion outside one of the two hospitals, al-Thawra. No details were immediately available or if there were casualties.

No one claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, but it resembles previous attacks carried out by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which operates in Yemen.

AQAP regards Shi'ites, the sect of Islam to which the Houthis belong, as heretics.

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