At least 68 people have been killed in a US airstrike that targeted a detention centre for African migrants in Saada province, located in Houthi-controlled north-western Yemen, according to the group’s TV channel, Al Masirah.
The attack, which occurred on Sunday, has left 47 others injured, with the majority reported to be in critical condition.
Al Masirah aired graphic footage showing multiple bodies buried under the rubble of a collapsed building, underscoring the devastating toll of the strike.
The US military has yet to comment on the incident, but it follows a series of airstrikes targeting Houthi-controlled areas since March 15, when US President Donald Trump ordered the escalation of airstrikes on the group.
US Central Command (Centcom) announced earlier that its forces had struck more than 800 targets since the directive, with a focus on Houthi fighters and their leadership, including senior officials involved in missile and drone operations.
This latest strike on the migrant detention centre in Saada has drawn attention to the ongoing civilian casualties resulting from the air campaign, with the Houthis claiming that many of those killed in previous attacks have been non-combatants.
The group’s health ministry previously reported that a string of US airstrikes on Yemen’s Ras Isa oil terminal in early April killed at least 74 people and wounded over 170.
Centcom acknowledged that the strike disrupted the Houthis’ ability to generate revenue from the oil terminal but maintained that these actions were essential to weakening the group’s military capacity.
The US military’s operations against the Houthis are part of a broader strategy aimed at curbing the group’s growing threat in the region.
The Houthis, a political and military faction originating from Yemen’s Zaidi Shia minority, have been involved in the country’s brutal civil war since they seized control of the north-western part of the country in 2014.
Their actions have included attacks on merchant vessels in key international shipping routes like the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, further exacerbating regional instability.
In recent months, the Houthis have escalated their missile, drone, and small boat attacks on commercial ships, a development that prompted the US to intensify its military operations.
The Houthis have targeted vessels linked to countries like the US, Israel, and the UK, which they claim are part of their wider support for Palestinians in the ongoing Gaza conflict.
Despite their claims, the Houthis’ actions have prompted calls for greater security measures in the region, including the deployment of Western warships.
US officials have indicated that the air campaign will continue as part of a broader strategy to restore freedom of navigation and bolster American deterrence in the region.
Since taking office in January, President Trump has also redesignated the Houthis as a “Foreign Terrorist Organisation,” a designation previously removed by the Biden administration to address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
Yemen’s civil war, which has devastated the country for nearly a decade, has left over 150,000 people dead and triggered one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
With millions displaced and many in desperate need of aid, the conflict continues to strain international efforts for peace and stability in the region.