A powerful explosion hit the Yemeni Defence Ministry in the capital Sana'a on Thursday, local news website Mareb Press reported.
Witnesses said ministry guards exchanged fire with gunmen in the aftermath of the blast, which appeared to have been caused by a car bomb, the report said.
There were no immediate reports about casualties, dpa reported.
Yemeni military bases, as well as oil and gas pipelines and other facilities, have repeatedly come under attack throughout the last year.
Officials often attribute the attacks to al-Qaeda-linked groups operating in the Arabian Peninsula. These are seen as some of the most active and dangerous branches of the terrorist network.