The Houthi militia in Yemen has pledged to retaliate after President Trump ordered extensive military strikes on their targets, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 31 people. The group, backed by Iran, claims that women and children were among the victims of the strikes, which were the most significant U.S. military action in the region since Trump took office in January.

In the past year, the Houthis have been responsible for launching attacks against Israel and threatening commercial shipping in the Red Sea in support of Hamas, the group behind the October 2023 attack on Israel.

The U.S. airstrikes targeted Houthi-controlled areas across Yemen, including the capital Sana and other regions such as Saada, al-Bayda, Hajjah, and Dhamar Provinces. The strikes caused extensive damage and reportedly injured 101 individuals, the majority of whom were children and women. However, these casualty figures have not been independently verified.

The U.S. Central Command released a video of a bomb destroying a building compound in Yemen, stating that the strikes were conducted to defend American interests, deter enemies, and restore freedom of navigation. The strikes also targeted a power facility in the town of Dahyan, resulting in a prolonged power outage.

The Houthi-run Al-Masirah television channel reported that 13 people were killed and nine others wounded in attacks on a district in Sana while ten people, including four children, were killed when attacks hit two buildings in Saada Province.

Residents witnessed the aftermath of the strikes, sharing images and videos of shattered windows and fires. Many expressed their distress and fear as the airstrikes were carried out.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Houthi leader, vowed to retaliate against the U.S. in response to the attacks, calling them unjustified. The Houthis had previously temporarily halted attacks in the Red Sea in January when a cease-fire took effect in Gaza. However, last week, they announced plans to target Israeli ships violating their ban on Israeli vessels passing through the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Bab-el-Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden.

In a statement on Truth Social, President Trump emphasized that support for the Houthi terrorists must end immediately and warned Iran against threatening the United States. Days after taking office, Trump issued an executive order to designate the Houthis as a “foreign terrorist organization.” The Biden administration later labeled the Houthis a “specially designated global terrorist” group in response to attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/16/world/middleeast/houthis-us-airstrikes-yemen-response.html