The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, said U.S. strikes hit a detention center for migrants, killing at least 68 people in the northern province of Saada. The U.S. military has been striking the Houthis almost daily since March 15 in an operation dubbed "Rough Rider" aimed at ending the threat they pose to vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis have launched strikes targeting Israel and Western vessels in the Red Sea in what they describe as solidarity with the Palestinians since Hamas launched an attack on Israel in October 2023. The US military said yesterday it had hit more than 800 targets in Yemen since mid-March, killing hundreds of Houthi rebels, including members of the group's leadership. This morning, the Houthi-run al-Masirah television said the target of the US strikes was a detention centre for African migrants and that 68 people had been killed.
According to a statement from the interior ministry of the Houthi administration, quoted by Al-Masirah, "115 migrants, all from Africa" were housed in the centre. The Houthis began targeting shipping in late 2023, preventing ships from passing through the Suez Canal - a vital route that routinely carries about 12 % of global trade - forcing many companies to make costly detours around the tip of southern Africa. Al-Masirah television reported yesterday that US strikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa had killed at least eight people and wounded others.
The U.S. military said it would not disclose specific details of its military strikes in Yemen, citing what it called the need to "maintain operational security" while saying the strikes had "lethal effects" on Houthi rebels.
