Yemeni rebels on Saturday detained dozens of students protesting in the capital Sanaa against poverty in the war-torn country, activists and witnesses said. Local activists, asking not to be named, told AFP that the Shiite Huthi movement detained at least 55 students, including 18 women, near Sanaa University.
Huthi authorities had warned it would "beat and arrest" anyone taking part in demonstrations in the rebel-held capital, residents said, after local activists called for a mass protest against inflation and famine. The Huthi rebels said on Saturday that they arrested a "number of people" in Sanaa for disturbing the peace.
Those arrested are linked to pro-government forces and "were paid to spread rumours... and destabilise security", the Huthi-run Saba news agency reported. Witnesses said the detained men and women were chanting: "We will sacrifice our soul, our blood for you, Yemen." The students were taken to a nearby Huthi-run police station, after which they were transported to "unknown locations", the activists told AFP, adding the rebels closed the university as part of security measures.
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