Thousands of Yemenis have rallied in the capital, Sana'a, where they called for the formation of a transitional council that excludes members of the current government.

The large rally took place on Tuesday, a day after Yemen's political opposition held talks with the acting leader, Vice President Abd al-Rab Mansur Hadi, on a possible transition plan.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh transferred his powers to the deputy after traveling to Saudi Arabia to seek treatment for wounds suffered in an attack on his presidential compound this month.

Meanwhile, the Gulf Cooperation Council met in Saudi Arabia Tuesday to discuss Yemen's political crisis. The group's efforts to help resolve the unrest stalled after President Saleh refused to sign a proposal which calls for him to eventually leave office.

In another development, Yemeni security sources say a bomb explosion in the country's south had killed an army colonel. Officials said the blast tore through the car of Colonel Muti'a al-Sayani while he was driving Monday in a region near the southern port of Aden.