US Air Strikes in Yemen Kill 12, Injure 30, Houthis Say

Twelve people have been killed and 30 others injured in air strikes conducted by the United States on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, according to Houthi rebels, as per Al Jazeera.

The strikes, which reportedly targeted multiple locations, have sparked condemnation from the Houthi movement.

Houthi media reported that the US air strikes hit Sanaa’s Attan district, which has been under Houthi control since 2014, as well as a sanitation project in the Asir area. Additional targets included the Furwah neighborhood and a market in the Shoub district, according to the same sources.

These strikes come a day after the US launched 13 strikes on Hodeidah’s port and airport, and just three days after what has been described as the deadliest attack to date, targeting the Ras Isa port, also in Hodeidah, which reportedly killed at least 80 people and wounded over 150.

Houthi-held areas in Yemen have been subjected to near-daily air strikes by Washington. The Houthi claim that more than 200 people have been killed since the Trump administration announced a major military offensive against the group in March.

The Trump administration has stated that the strikes are aimed at forcing the Houthis to stop threatening ships in the Red Sea, a vital artery for international trade.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have reportedly launched over 100 attacks on vessels they claim are linked to Israel, citing solidarity with Palestinians and protesting Israel’s war on Gaza. These attacks have severely impacted shipping through the Suez Canal, a crucial waterway for approximately 12 percent of global shipping traffic, forcing many companies to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, significantly increasing costs and transit times.

While the Houthis halted attacks on shipping lanes during a two-month ceasefire in Gaza earlier this year, they have pledged to resume strikes following the resumption of Israel’s offensive on the besieged territory last month.

The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, emerged in the 1990s and gained prominence in 2014 when they seized Sanaa, forcing President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee the country, plunging Yemen into a devastating conflict.