Overnight U.S. airstrikes targeting Yemen’s capital resulted in at least eight fatalities, according to the Houthi rebels on Monday. Meanwhile, the American military confirmed conducting over 800 individual strikes as part of their month-long campaign.
The U.S. military’s Central Command released a statement stating that its “Operation Roughrider” aimed at the rebels had “killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders,” including those linked with its missile and drone programme. However, it did not disclose the identities of these officials.
The U.S. maintained its commitment to continue the airstrikes, which commenced on March 15 under President Donald Trump’s administration, as he seeks an agreement with Iran concerning its rapidly progressing nuclear programme.
“Iran undoubtedly continues to provide support to the Houthis,” the statement read. “The Houthis can only continue to attack our forces with the backing of the Iranian regime.”
It further stated: “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.”
The U.S. is targeting the Houthis due to the group’s attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, a vital global trade route, and on Israel. The Houthis also represent the last militant group in Iran’s self-proclaimed “Axis of Resistance” capable of regularly attacking Israel.
On Monday, the Houthi rebels broadcast footage of what they claimed was a U.S. strike on the Bani Al Harith District, located north of Yemen’s rebel-controlled capital, Sanaa. The aftermath showed blood stains amidst the debris and a damaged truck.
The Houthi-run al-Masirah satellite news channel reported eight fatalities from the strike, a figure yet to be confirmed by Health Ministry officials.
The Houthis also reported overnight strikes in Yemen’s Amran and Saada governorates, with two additional deaths occurring on Sunday.
Determining the impact of the month-long U.S. airstrike campaign has proven challenging due to the military’s reluctance to disclose specific details about the attacks, including targets and casualty figures. Meanwhile, the Houthis maintain strict control over access to affected areas and withhold comprehensive information on the strikes, many of which are believed to have targeted military and security sites.
Funeral notices suggest high-ranking Houthis have been casualties of the American attacks.
“To preserve operational security, we have intentionally limited disclosing details of our ongoing or future operations,” Central Command stated on Monday. “We are very deliberate in our operational approach, but will not reveal specifics about what we’ve done or what we will do.”
However, the military has yet to acknowledge any civilian casualties resulting from the strikes – a concern raised by activists given the intensity of the campaign.
The United States is launching strikes from its two regional aircraft carriers, the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea and the USS Carl Vinson in the Arabian Sea.
On April 18, a US strike on the Ras Isa fuel port resulted in at least 74 fatalities and 171 injuries, marking the deadliest attack of the American campaign to date. Central Command provided a rationale for targeting the port on Monday.
“U.S. strikes destroyed the ability of Ras Isa Port to accept fuel which will begin to impact Houthi ability to not only conduct operations, but also to generate millions of dollars in revenue for their terror activities,” they explained.
In a bid to tighten their grip on information, the Houthis have been clamping down on communications within their controlled territories. They issued an order on Sunday demanding that anyone with Starlink satellite internet receivers must surrender them to the authorities.
“A field campaign will be implemented in coordination with the security authorities to arrest anyone who sells, trades, uses, operates, installs or possesses these prohibited terminals,” the Houthis declared.
Starlink terminals have played a pivotal role in Ukraine’s resistance against Russia’s invasion, and there have been efforts to smuggle these devices into Iran amidst internal turmoil.
