Jaar — A suicide bomber blew himself up at a wake in southern Yemen on Saturday night, killing more than 45 people and wounding at least 41, the interior ministry said.

The bomber struck in the village of Jaar, one of several towns in Abyan province that were retaken from al-Qaida in a major government offensive in June.

In the Saturday incident, the bomber blew himself up while mourners were paying condolences to a pro-government fighter whose uncle had died. The attacker entered the gathering claiming to be a friend of the fighter, and then detonated explosives, officials said.

While no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in the town of Jaar in Abyan province, suspicion fell on al-Qaida which vowed to retaliate against tribesmen who fought alongside the government to uproot it from the region.