United States military strikes on a migrant detention centre in Saada and on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, have killed dozens of people and wounded many more, according to Houthi-affiliated media reports.
At least 68 people were killed in the overnight strike on detained African migrants and eight people were killed around the capital, Houthi media reported on Monday.
Later in the day, the Houthis promised to keep up their own attacks as they said they targeted a US aircraft carrier, the USS Harry S Truman, “and its associated warships” in response to the US attacks in Sanaa and in the Saada governorate.
“The missile force launched a number of cruise and ballistic missiles and drones over the past hours. The resulting engagement and confrontation forced the carrier to retreat from its previous position and head to the far north of the Red Sea,” the Houthis said.
They added they would continue to target US vessels “in the Red and Arabian seas until the aggression against Yemen is halted”.
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for military operations in the Middle East, refused to offer details of its latest strikes but acknowledged carrying out more than 800 attacks on targets in Yemen since mid-March when it relaunched its air strikes on the country. More than 250 people are now reported to have been killed in the campaign.
The Al Masirah TV news channel reported early on Monday that eight people were killed in a US strike on the Bani al-Harith district north of Sanaa.
Rights advocates have been alarmed about civilian killings. Three US Democratic senators wrote to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Thursday, demanding an accounting for civilian lives lost.
“Strikes pose a growing risk to the civilian population in Yemen,” United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday. “We continue to call on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians.”
Detained migrants caught in the crossfire
A later report by Al Masirah showed graphic footage and said 68 people had been killed when a migrant detention centre was hit in the strikes on Saada.
The facility had been holding about 100 people from Ethiopia and other African countries detained while crossing Yemen in a bid to secure work in Saudi Arabia.
Houthi rebels allegedly earn large sums smuggling migrants over the border, but those seeking to cross are taking a significant risk, given the threat of detainment and abuse as well as risks from the long-running conflict.
A strike by the Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthis hit a detention centre in 2022, killing 66 detainees, according to a UN report.
The Houthis shot dead 16 detainees who fled after the strike and wounded another 50, the UN said.
The latest US bombing raids raise the death toll from US strikes on Yemen since March 15 to more than 250 people, according to a tally of Houthi announcements on casualties.
The US military said on Sunday that since March 15, it had struck more than 800 targets in Yemen and killed hundreds of Houthis.
“These strikes have killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders,” CENTCOM said. It added that the attacks on Yemen would continue and details would continue to be restricted.
“To preserve operational security, we have intentionally limited disclosing details of our ongoing or future operations,” CENTCOM said.
“We are very deliberate in our operational approach, but will not reveal specifics about what we’ve done or what we will do,” it added.
The US has not commented on civilian casualties from its intense bombing of Yemen, which has involved almost daily attacks.
US forces say they are targeting the Houthis because of the group’s attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and on Israel. The Houthis say they launched their attacks on Red Sea shipping linked to Israel in retaliation against Israel’s war on Gaza.
On April 18, a US strike on Yemen’s Ras Isa fuel port killed at least 74 people and wounded 171 in the deadliest known attack to date by the US on Yemen.
The increase in US attacks also comes as US President Donald Trump intensifies efforts to pressure Iran – the main supporter of the Houthis – into agreeing to a new deal on its nuclear capabilities.
The US is conducting strikes from its two aircraft carriers in the region – the USS Truman in the Red Sea and the USS Carl Vinson in the Arabian Sea.
Houthi forces, nevertheless, continue to launch missiles at Israel and US vessels in the Red Sea as well as US military drones.
