The Yemeni authorities arrested the terrorist cell behind the suicide bombing which killed and injured more than 400 soldiers during a parade rehearsal in the capital Sanaa in May, the 26 September weekly reported Thursday, quoting a statement by chief of the national security.

General Ali Muhammad Al-Anesi was quoted as saying "the security authorities arrested the terrorist cell of the Partisans of Sharia Law, Yemen Al-Qaida's offshoot, which carried out the deadly attack".

Al-Anesi did not give more details, according to the paper.

On May 21, a suicide bomber infiltrated into Al-Sabeen Square in downtown Sanaa where units of military and security were conducting a parade rehearsal and below himself up killing more than one hundred central security forces. More than three hundred others were injured.

Later, Al-Qaida claimed responsibility for the attack, which coincided with severe blows it was receiving under a US-backed offensive in the southern Abyan province.

In association with tribal fighters, the army could drive Al-Qaida militants from Abyan province and nearby areas after hundreds of them including senior leaders had been killed and injured during the offensive.

In the meantime, Al-Qaida has vowed to retaliate through attacking US and key Yemeni targets, with several suicide bombings reported recently including the one killing commander of the southern military region who led the offensive.