Sanaa, Yemen — Houthi rebel-controlled media in Yemen said Monday that U.S. strikes targeted a migrant detention center and killed at least 35 people in the movement’s stronghold of Saada. The U.S. military has hammered the Iran-backed Houthis with near-daily strikes since March 15 in an operation dubbed “Rough Rider,” seeking to end the threat they pose to vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis have for more than a year launched strikes targeting Israel and Western vessels in the Red Sea, including U.S. warships, in what they describe as solidarity with the Palestinians, since Hamas sparked the war in Gaza by launching its unprecedented terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023.
On Sunday, the military said it has hit more than 800 targets in Yemen since mid-March, killing hundreds of Houthi rebels including members of the group’s leadership.
On Monday, the Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV network claimed U.S. strikes had targeted a detention center for African migrants, and that 35 bodies had been “pulled from the rubble.”
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“Civil defense teams and the Red Crescent are continuing their efforts at the scene of the American crime,” it said.
AFP could not independently confirm the veracity of Al-Masirah’s claim that the strikes had hit a migrant detention center, or the toll. AFP has contacted the U.S. military for comment.
According to a statement cited by Al-Masirah from the Houthi administration’s interior ministry, the center housed “115 migrants, all from Africa.”
The broadcaster ran video that showed bodies stuck under rubble and rescuers working to help the casualties.
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The Houthis are, like Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, backed by Iran, which is Israel’s arch-foe.
The Houthis began targeting shipping in late 2023, preventing ships from passing through the Suez Canal — a vital route that normally carries about 12% of global trade — forcing many companies into a costly detour around the tip of southern Africa.
In a statement that provided its most detailed accounting of the operation so far, CENTCOM, the U.S. military command responsible for the Middle East said: “Since the start of Operation Rough Rider, USCENTCOM has struck over 800 targets.
“These strikes have killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders.”
“The strikes have destroyed multiple command-and-control facilities, air defence systems, advanced weapons manufacturing facilities, and advanced weapons storage locations,” CENTCOM said.
Despite the strikes, however, the Houthis — who control large swaths of Yemen and have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition backing the internationally recognized government since 2015 — have continued to claim attacks against both U.S. vessels and Israel.
CENTCOM said that “while the Houthis have continued to attack our vessels, our operations have degraded the pace and effectiveness of their attacks. Ballistic missile launches have dropped by 69 percent. Additionally, attacks from one-way attack drones have decreased by 55 percent.”
“Iran undoubtedly continues to provide support to the Houthis. The Houthis can only continue to attack our forces with the backing of the Iranian regime,” the military command said.
“We will continue to ratchet up the pressure until the objective is met, which remains the restoration of freedom of navigation and American deterrence in the region,” it added.
Al-Masirah TV on Sunday reported that U.S. strikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa had killed at least eight people and wounded others.
The channel also broadcast video of the rubble of destroyed homes and cars, as well as blood stains on the ground, while rescuers collected what appeared to be human remains in white cloth.
Also on Sunday, Houthi media said earlier strikes on Sanaa had killed two people and wounded several more.
The U.S. military began conducting strikes against the Houthis, in conjunction with Britain, during former President Joe Biden’s administration, and President Trump has vowed that military action against the rebels will continue until they are no longer a threat to shipping.
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