Sanaa:  The Houthi group in Yemen has banned the entry of Swedish imports into the country's north, which is under its control, in protest against the burning of a Quran during a protest in Sweden.

Houthi trade minister Mohammed al-Mutahar said the ban was a "message of protest" against the incident, which he described as "an act of blasphemy."

He said the effect of the ban on the Houthi-controlled region was "limited" because Swedish imports to Yemen are not at a large amount.

The burning of the Quran by an Iraqi refugee in a demonstration in Stockholm last month was condemned by several Islamic countries. Although the Stockholm police had initially granted permission for the Quran burning, the Swedish government subsequently denounced the incident, labeling it an "Islamophobic" act.

Yemen's Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces in late 2014, sparking a civil war and forcing the Yemeni government out of the capital, Sanaa. The government has since moved to the southern port city of Aden.

(With UNI Inputs)