A suicide bomber blew up a vehicle at an elite Republican Guard camp southwest of the Yemeni capital on Saturday, March 3, days after Al-Qaeda claimed a similar attack that killed 26 soldiers, military sources said.

There were "casualties" in the blast at the base in Bayda, 170 kilometers (105 miles) from Sanaa, the sources added, without giving any immediate breakdown.

Witnesses said the bombing devastated the three-storey building.

The explosion hit at 6:00 am (0300 GMT) and was probably carried out by multiple assailants, a military official said, AFP reported.

The blast was followed by an exchange of fire between gunmen and Republican Guard troops, who are led by Ahmed Saleh, son of veteran strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, who formally stepped down less than a week ago.

Bayda borders Abyan province, an Al-Qaeda stronghold in the south.