Officials say the bomber placed an explosive device in his shoe, and when that initial bomb went off, he detonated himself in the middle of the crowd.
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Ibrahim Sharhan, a 23-year-old vegetable seller who owns a shop next to the mosque, said the explosions left a scene of carnage, with scattered body parts and puddles of blood on the ground.
Warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition reportedly made multiple air strikes against Houthi positions on Tuesday, focusing on the provinces of Taiz and Marib.
The explosion occurred during the festival of Id-ul-Adha when Shiite worshippers were offering prayers at the Balili mosque.
“We rushed outside and summoned the ambulances”, one witness said.
It came as Muslims marked Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, the most important holiday of the Islamic calendar.
No-one has yet claimed responsibility for the latest attack.
The United Nations chief further welcomed the recent release of six foreign nationals by Yemen’s Ansarullah Houthi fighters, saying “this measure represents a concrete and positive step in efforts to lessen tensions in the region and ease the path to a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Yemen”.
The Saudi health minister told state television that at least 21 people had been killed and more than 80 injured in the blast.
The IS group and the Yemen-based branch of its militant rivals al Qaeda have exploited the turmoil to boost their activities in the impoverished country.
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Hadi flew to the southern port city of Aden, which was captured by forces allied with his government in July, according to Mohammed Mousaed, a senior security official.
