SANAA 

Militants from the Shiite Houthi group on Sunday forcefully dispersed an anti-Houthi protest in capital Sanaa, abducting two photographers and several protesters.

The militants took the photographers and protesters to an undisclosed location, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent.

They had fired shots in the air used batons to disperse the demonstration.

The militants were seen chasing protesters in the streets around al-Taghyeer Square in Sanaa, where the protest was to be launched.

Spokesmen for the Houthis were not immediately available for comment.

Earlier Sunday, activists gathered near al-Taghyeer Square to protest what they describe as a Houthi coup against President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.

Hadi tendered his resignation to parliament on Thursday shortly after Prime Minister Khaled Bahah and his government quit to protest the Shiite militants' takeover of the capital.

Last week, Sanaa was rocked by deadly clashes between Houthi militants and presidential guards amid an apparent push by the Shiite militants to consolidate their control over the country.

The Houthis seized control of Sanaa in September before moving on to establish control over other parts of the country as well.

The rise of the Houthis has pitted the Shiite group against local Sunni tribes and Al-Qaeda, the latter of which is said to remain active in Yemen.

Yemen has remained in the throes of turmoil since President Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped down in 2012 under pressure from a months-long popular uprising against his 33-year rule.