SANAA
Shiite Houthi militants kidnapped 20 Yemeni activists in capital Sanaa on Wednesday, eyewitnesses have said.
"The activists were abducted as they gathered outside the office of the prosecutor-general ahead of an anti-Houthi rally," an eyewitness told The Anadolu Agency.
Lawyer Selim Allaw confirmed the abductions.
"Houthi militants abducted a number of youths, while others fled the scene," he told AA.
He said contacts were underway with Houthi leaders to determine the location of the abducted youths.
Since taking control of the capital in late September, the Houthis have sought to expand their influence farther afield to other parts of the country.
The Houthis' growing strength has raised fears of sectarian conflict in fractious Yemen, which has remained in turmoil since a 2011 popular uprising ended the decades-long rule of autocratic President Ali Abdullah Saleh one year later.
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