Blast kills 47 at Houthi protest in Yemen

At least 47 people were killed by an explosion at an anti-government protest by Houthis in Yemen's capital, the Yemen health ministry said Thursday -- marking just the latest violence during weeks of sectarian and political strife in the country.


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.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.