Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Monday accused the U.S. military of carrying out an airstrike that hit a prison holding African migrants in Saada governorate, a Houthi stronghold.
Graphic footage aired by the rebels’ al-Masirah TV showed bodies and wounded individuals in the aftermath of the explosion. Casualty numbers remain unclear.
The U.S. military’s Central Command has not issued a comment regarding the alleged strike, despite multiple requests from the Associated Press.
This incident comes amid a major escalation in U.S. military operations in Yemen under “Operation Roughrider.” The monthlong campaign has involved more than 800 individual strikes, according to a U.S. military statement, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Houthi fighters and several high-ranking leaders tied to the group’s missile and drone programs.
The U.S. campaign aims to disrupt Houthi attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea and strikes against Israel. The Houthis are a key part of Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance,” and American officials maintain that Iran continues to supply them with arms and resources.
“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. Central Command said.
The Houthis reported that at least eight people were killed overnight in separate airstrikes on Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, intensifying concerns about civilian casualties as tensions across the Middle East grow.
