US Air Force strikes Houthi rebels, 31 dead in Yemen
The United States Air Force conducted airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. These strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 31 people and injured more than 100, including children among the victims. The Houthis have been terrorizing commercial ships in the region of Yemen for several years.
The Americans targeted multiple locations. The Houthi-controlled television channel Al Massira reported that 13 people died in an attack on the city of Saada in northwestern Yemen. Meanwhile, the airstrike on the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people, including four children and one woman.
The airstrikes also targeted Houthi military facilities in the city of Taiz, as well as in 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 centers 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 defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom," the American president stated on the social media platform True Social.
Attacks on commercial ships. Houthis paralyze navigation
Since the fall of 2023, the Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, claiming these actions demonstrate solidarity with Hamas in its struggle against Israel.
Additionally, the Houthis are one of the parties in the Yemeni civil war, ongoing since 2014. They control a significant portion of the country, including the Red Sea coast.