Suspected US airstrikes kill at least one in Yemen’s capital
Iranian-backed Houthis have held Sanaa since 2014.
Suspected US airstrikes around Yemen’s rebel-held capital killed at least one person overnight, according to the Iranian-backed Houthis.
The attacks followed airstrikes early on Friday that appeared particularly intense compared to other days in the campaign that began on March 15.
The strikes around Sanaa, Yemen’s capital held by the Houthis since 2014, also wounded four others, the rebels said. Their al-Masirah satellite news channel aired footage of broken glass littering homes after the concussive blast of the bombs, but continued not to show the targets of the attacks — suggesting the sites had a military or intelligence function.
The new campaign of airstrikes, which the Houthis now say have killed at least 59 people, started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting Israeli ships again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels in the past loosely defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning other vessels could be targeted.
The Houthis had targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships, although none have been hit so far.
The attacks greatly raised the Houthis’ profile as they faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting any dissent and aid workers at home amid Yemen’s decade-long stalemated war that has torn apart the Arab world’s poorest nation.
