Widespread US Air Raids in Yemen Result in Casualties
These strikes on Monday form part of the escalating military engagement of the US against the Houthi group, initiated earlier this month after the Iran-affiliated faction announced plans to resume attacks on Red Sea shipping. This was due to Israel’s ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Anees Alasbahi, a spokesperson for the Houthi-run Health Ministry, stated, “A civilian death and 13 others, including three children, were injured as a result of the US aggression on a residential building in Sanaa’s Aser area.”
Hoovered footage from the Houthis shows the aftermath of a collapsed building and bloodstains on the ground, serving as grave evidence of the event.
Additionally, air assaults were reported at sites around the city of Saada, the port city of Hodeidah, and the Marib province, which is home to oil and gas fields under the control of allies of Yemen’s exiled central government.
Claims on social media, unverified, have stated that the Houthis have struck US naval vessels.
The US’s campaign of air strikes against the Houthi group, which began on March 15, was announced in response to past targeting of critical shipping routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The US also reaffirmed its support for Hamas amid the ongoing conflict with Israel.
The Houthis temporarily ceased their attacks during a ceasefire in Gaza in January, but renewing hostilities followed the collapse of the truce, with threats to escalate their strikes once again.
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz remarked that the Houthi threat has directed 75% of US shipping to take a detour via the southern coast of Africa instead of the Suez Canal.
The Houthis have also been behind recent attacks on Israel, with the Israeli military claiming to have successfully intercepted a ballistic missile launched by them.
US air strikes have claimed the lives of at least 79 people and injured over 100 in Yemen since last Thursday, according to Houthi reports.
Intensive US Strikes: Every Day and Night
The US has provided sparse details on the targeting of their strikes, with no confirmation as yet regarding the raids on Sanaa.
A defense official, speaking to AFP, stated, “CENTCOM [US Central Command] is conducting strikes across multiple locations of Iran-backed Houthi areas every day and night in Yemen.”
Waltz confirmed that recent US attacks have targeted and eliminated key Houthi leadership.
“We have engaged their headquarters, communication hubs, weapons factories, and even some of their facilities for producing over-the-water drones.”
The Houthis refute US claims of targeting military sites as “complete lies and slander.”
The Houthi government responded, “The imagery, eyewitness accounts, and types of victims confirm that residential neighborhoods and innocent civilians are being targeted—undeniable evidence that the US is deliberately killing defenseless civilians and destroying our people’s capabilities.”
The Houthis assert that the recent US attacks will not discourage them from supporting Palestinians in Gaza, and they will also provide support to Lebanon and Hezbollah, should it be necessary.
