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Shiite rebels 'seize city of Taiz and airport'

Shiite rebels backed by supporters of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh have taken over parts of Yemen's third largest city of Taiz and its airport.

The UN Security Council is holding an emergency meeting on Yemen's security situation.

It comes after the US announced it was withdrawing its troops from Yemen due to the worsening security situation amid mounting violence by armed rival groups including Houthi rebels, al-Qaeda and Islamic State militants.

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US 'cannot confirm' Islamic State is behind Yemen attacks

Houthi militants stand at the scene of a suicide bombing outside a mosque in Sanaa Credit: Reuters

A White House spokesman said the US cannot confirm Islamic State's claim it is behind the deadly mosque attacks in Yemen.

A source told Reuters that 126 people have been killed and 260 more injured in the bomb attacks on mosques in Sanaa today.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the US "strongly condemns" the bombings and said there was no clear operational link between the people who carried out a bomb attacks and Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria.

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