Houthis blame U.S. for airstrike they say killed at least 68 people at migrant detention centre

The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 28, 2025 8:57 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Yemen's Houthi rebels said connected Monday that a U.S. airstrike deed a situation holding African migrants, sidesplitting astatine slightest 68 radical and wounding 47 others. 

The onslaught successful Yemen's Saada governorate could rise questions astir the U.S. campaign, known arsenic "Operation Rough Rider," which has been targeting Houthi rebels. The strikes person drawn contention successful Washington aft Donald Trump medication officials discussed delicate and apt classified details astir a erstwhile onslaught connected the Signal messaging app.

The American subject has acknowledged carrying retired implicit 800 idiosyncratic strikes successful its month-long campaign. A connection earlier successful the play from the U.S. said "Operation Rough Rider" had "killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and galore Houthi leaders," including those associated with its rocket and drone program. It did not place immoderate of those officials. 

"To sphere operational security, we person intentionally constricted disclosing details of our ongoing oregon aboriginal operations," Central Command said. "We are precise deliberate successful our operational approach, but volition not uncover specifics astir what we've done oregon what we volition do." 

WATCH l How people details were shared with journalist, and the denials that followed:

It did not instantly respond to questions from The Associated Press astir the alleged onslaught successful Saada. 

The U.S. is targeting the Houthis due to the fact that of the group's attacks connected shipping successful the Red Sea, a important planetary commercialized route, and connected Israel. The Houthis are besides the past militant radical successful Iran's self-described Axis of Resistance that is susceptible of regularly attacking Israel. 

"Iran undoubtedly continues to supply enactment to the Houthis," the connection said. "The Houthis tin lone proceed to onslaught our forces with the backing of the Iranian regime."

"We volition proceed to ratchet up the unit until the nonsubjective is met, which remains the restoration of state of navigation and American deterrence successful the region," it added. 

While the hostilities person been ongoing, the Trump medication has started negotiations with the Houthis' main benefactor, Iran, implicit Tehran's rapidly advancing atomic program. 

The U.S. is conducting strikes connected Yemen from its 2 craft carriers successful the region — the USS Harry S. Truman successful the Red Sea and the USS Carl Vinson successful the Arabian Sea. On April 18, an American onslaught connected the Ras Isa substance larboard killed astatine slightest 74 radical and wounded 171 others successful the deadliest-known onslaught of the American campaign.

Meanwhile, U.S. airstrikes overnight targeting Yemen's capital, Sanaa, killed astatine slightest 8 people, the Houthis said. 

WATCH l Some Red Sea attacks person small transportation to warfare successful Gaza:

Migrant centre deed by airstrike 3 years ago

Graphic footage aired by the Houthis' al-Masirah outer quality transmission showed what appeared to beryllium dormant bodies and others wounded astatine the site. The Houthi-run Interior Ministry said immoderate 115 migrants had been detained astatine the site. 

Footage from the tract analyzed by AP suggested immoderate benignant of detonation took spot there, with its cement walls seemingly peppered by debris fragments and the wounds suffered by those there. A woman's voice, brushed successful the footage, tin beryllium heard repeating the commencement of a supplication successful Arabic: "In the sanction of God."

Ethiopians and different African migrants for years person landed successful Yemen, braving the war-torn federation to effort to reach Saudi Arabia for work. The Houthi rebels allegedly marque tens of thousands of dollars a week smuggling migrants implicit the border. 

Migrants from Ethiopia person recovered themselves detained, abused and adjacent killed successful the yearslong warfare that began successful 2015 betwixt a Saudi-led conjugation and the Houthi rebels. 

Monday's alleged onslaught recalled a akin onslaught by the Saudi-led conjugation backmost successful 2022 connected the aforesaid compound, which caused a collapse, sidesplitting 66 detainees and wounding 113 others, a United Nations study aboriginal said. The Houthis changeable dormant 16 detainees who fled aft the onslaught and wounded different 50, the UN said.