US airstrikes target Houthi rebels in Yemen, civilian casualties rise
The United States Air Force attacked Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The airstrike killed at least 31 people, and more than 100 were injured. Among the victims were children. The Houthis have been terrorising commercial ships in the region of Yemen for years.
The Americans bombed several locations. The Houthi-controlled television channel Al Massira reported that 13 people died as a result of an attack on the city of Saada in north-western Yemen. Meanwhile, the airstrike on the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, resulted in the death of at least 10 people, including four children and one woman.
The targets of the airstrikes also included Houthi military facilities in the city of Taiz and the provinces of Saada, Dhamar, and Al-Bayda. According to local media in Sana'a, the headquarters of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, weapons warehouses, and command centres were shelled.
President Donald Trump announced on Saturday a "decisive and powerful" operation against the Houthi rebels.
"Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defences to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom," the American president announced on the social media platform True Social.
Attacks on commercial ships. Houthis paralyse navigation
Since autumn 2023, the Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, claiming that they are an expression of solidarity with Hamas in its struggle against Israel.
Additionally, the Houthis are one of the parties in the civil war in Yemen, which has been ongoing since 2014, and they control a large part of the country, including the Red Sea coast.
