Yemen: Houthis report at least 57 killed in US air strikes
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have announced that due to recent US air strikes on the country’s Houthi-controlled areas, the death toll has reached at least 57, Al Jazeera reported on March 28th.
The airstrikes hit targets in Al Jaouf and Hudaydah early on March 17th, the BBC reported on March 16th.
According to the US, some key Houthi figures were reportedly among those killed, although the group has not verified this claim.
Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has made a threat that US vessels in the Red Sea would be targeted, as long as the US attacks on Yemen continue.
A father, who gave his name as Ahmed expressed his disbelief to AFP. He said: “I’ve been living in Sanaa for 10 years, hearing shelling throughout the war. By God, I’ve never experienced anything like this before.”
US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz confirmed that the strikes of March 15th targeted multiple Houthi leaders.
Waltz told Fox News: “We just hit them with overwhelming force and put Iran on notice that enough is enough.”
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that an “unrelenting” missile campaign would persist until Houthi attacks come to a halt, noting that the campaign aims to maintain freedom of navigation and restore deterrence.
The Iranian-backed Houthis control Sanaa and the northwestern area of Yemen but are not internationally-recognised as the legitimate ruling authority of the country.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have targeted numerous merchant vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, using missiles, drones, and small boats.
They have reportedly sunk two vessels, seized another, and killed four crew members. Donald Trump vowed to use “overwhelming lethal force” against Iran-backed Houthis and warned of severe retaliation.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged for “utmost restraint and a cessation of all military activities” in Yemen, with the US having shot down 11 Houthi drones.
BBC, Al Jazeera
