Two suicide bombers driving cars attacked the home of Abdullah Idris, the leader of Yemen's rebel Shiite militia known as the Houthis on Tuesday, killing dozens of people.

The bombings in the town of Radaa (pictured above), south of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, followed a string of territorial advances by the Houthis in recent months amid their power struggle with President Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

Witnesses said the first bomber detonated his explosives-primed vehicle at a checkpoint manned by rebels. The school bus was caught in that blast.

A second car then targeted Idris' home.

Rebels want Hadi to denounce UN sanctions

Yemen's defense ministry and the Houthis blamed al Qaeda militants in the region for the bombings. The Shiite militia said the bus was carrying female pupils.

Confidence vote derailed

Loyalists of ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is allied with the Houthis, derailed a vote of confidence in parliament on Hadi's new government on Tuesday.

Saleh's allies accused Hadi of backing UN sanctions against Saleh and two top rebel leaders.

Also on Tuesday, armed Houthis surrounded the defense ministry in Sanaa and prevented the minister from entering.

ipj/ksb (AP, AFP, dpa)