Bombs in Yemen rip through checkpoint, army camp

Suicide bombers in Yemen killed at least 67 people Thursday when they detonated their explosives at a checkpoint in the middle of the capital city Sanaa and at an army camp.

The checkpoint in Sanaa was crowded with supporters of the Shiite Houthis, who took control of the capital last month. The supporters were planning to hold a rally. At least 47 people were killed, including four children.

The bombing, which left body parts and pools of blood scattered through Tahrir Square, came hours after Prime Minister-designate Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak stepped down from his post. Houthis had called for massive protests against his appointment, saying it was made by “foreign interference.”

According to the Houthis, President Abd-Rabbu Mansour had promised not to appoint Mubarak but had announced his position after meeting with the U.S. ambassador in Sanaa.

The attack against the army camp took place in Buroom in Hadramout province in northern Yemen. Witnesses said the bomber drove a car packed with explosives toward the camp while gunmen tried to enter the facility. The soldiers reportedly beat back the attackers, but at least 20 soldiers were killed in the fight.

No one took immediate responsibility for either attack.

U.S. Ambassador to Yemen Matthew Tueller condemned the violence in a statement and called on both sides to quickly implement a partnership agreement aimed at quelling the Houthi insurgency.

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