Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- At least 47 people were killed by an explosion at an anti-government protest by Houthis in Yemen's capital on Thursday, the Yemen health ministry said Thursday -- marking just the latest violence during weeks of sectarian and political strife in the country.
The explosion at Sanaa's
Tahrir Square, where Houthis -- a religious minority in Yemen -- were
engaged in their latest protest against the government, the health
ministry said. Eyewitnesses said the explosion came from a suicide
bomber who had been near a bank in the square, but the Interior Ministry
did not confirm that account.
Houthis, followers of a
sect of Shia Islam in a country where Sunni Muslims are the majority,
have been protesting for weeks against the government, prompting the
resignations of two prime ministers in two weeks.
Among the killed were
eight children who participated in the protests, Houthi medical sources
said. At least 11 people -- all protesters -- were taken to hospitals in
critical condition, the sources said.
No group immediately
announced responsibility for Thursday's attack, but al Qaeda -- the
Sunni Muslim terrorist network -- has for months threatened to kill
Houthis after Houthi fighters defeated Sunni tribes in several Yemeni
provinces.
Credit: CNN
No comments:
Post a Comment