Blast kills 47 at Houthi protest in Yemen, officials say

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.