World Bulletin/News Desk

An Al-Qaeda-linked group has claimed to have killed 30 Shiite Houthi militants in Yemen's central Al-Bayda' province.

The Ansar al-Sharia group wrote on Twitter that its fighters had killed 30 Houthi militants in attacks on their homes in Rada'a city on Tuesday.

Yemen has been dogged by political turmoil since a popular uprising that erupted in 2011 toppled autocratic ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh one year later.

Last month, Houthi militants seized control of Sanaa following weeks of clashes and protests that had paralyzed the capital.

Since then, the Houthis have attempted to extend their influence beyond Sanaa to other parts of the country.

Some Arab capitals have accused Shiite Iran of supporting Yemen's ongoing Houthi insurgency.