Sana’a: The son of Yemen’s powerful Islamist Al Islah (Reform) party’s secretary-general was seriously wounded when his father’s car exploded in Sana’a on Tuesday, a security official said.

“Omar Abdul Wahab Al Ansi was critically wounded [in the explosion],” the security official said, adding that “the attack was targeting the father but injured the son”.

Omar’s father, Abdul Wahab Al Ansi, is leading his party’s delegation at the Yemen’s thorny reconciliation talks, but rarely attends sessions due to poor health.

The blast came shortly after unidentified gunmen in the capital shot dead a law professor Ahmad Sharaf Al Deen, who has been representing Shiite Al Houthi rebels at the talks.