Sanaa, Yemen — Houthi-run media outlets in Yemen reported Monday that U.S. airstrikes had hit a detention center for African migrants in the Houthi stronghold of Saada, killing at least 35 people. The strikes are part of “Operation Rough Rider,” an ongoing U.S. military campaign aimed at dismantling Houthi capabilities after months of attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Since March 15, the U.S. has carried out near-daily airstrikes targeting Houthi positions in Yemen. According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), more than 800 Houthi-related targets have been struck during this period, with hundreds of rebels — including key leaders — reportedly killed.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed group like Hamas and Hezbollah, began targeting commercial and military vessels in late 2023 in what they claimed was an act of solidarity with Palestinians during the Israel-Gaza conflict that erupted following Hamas’ deadly assault on Israel in October 2023. Their attacks have heavily disrupted global shipping through the Suez Canal, forcing costly reroutes around Africa.
On Monday, Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV aired footage showing rescue teams pulling bodies from rubble after what they claimed was a U.S. strike on a migrant detention center. The Houthi-run interior ministry said the facility housed 115 African migrants at the time of the attack.
“Civil defense teams and the Red Crescent continue efforts at the scene of the American crime,” Al-Masirah reported. Rescue workers were seen transporting injured migrants from the debris.
The claim that a migrant detention center was targeted has not been independently verified. News agency AFP reported that it was unable to confirm the Houthi version of events and has contacted the U.S. military for comment.
Meanwhile, CENTCOM released new details about the impact of Operation Rough Rider, saying the airstrikes have eliminated significant Houthi military infrastructure, including command centers, air defense systems, weapons manufacturing sites, and storage facilities.
“Since Operation Rough Rider began, U.S. forces have killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous senior leaders,” CENTCOM stated. “Our actions have significantly reduced the Houthis’ capabilities. Ballistic missile launches have dropped by 69%, and one-way drone attacks have decreased by 55%.”
However, the Houthis — who have controlled large parts of Yemen for nearly a decade — continue to claim new attacks against both U.S. naval assets and Israeli interests.
CENTCOM accused Iran of continuing to supply and support the Houthis, making sustained attacks possible. “The Houthis’ ability to continue operations is directly tied to Iranian backing,” CENTCOM said, vowing that the U.S. would intensify its operations until freedom of navigation is fully restored in the Red Sea region.
Tensions escalated further on Sunday when Houthi media reported that U.S. strikes in the Yemeni capital Sanaa killed at least eight people and wounded several others. Broadcast footage showed devastated homes, burned-out vehicles, and bloodstains on the streets as rescuers worked through the rubble.
Earlier that same day, the Houthis claimed that two more people had been killed in separate airstrikes on Sanaa.
The U.S. began launching strikes on Houthi positions in partnership with Britain during President Biden’s administration. Current President Donald Trump has pledged that military operations against the Houthis will continue until they are “completely neutralized as a threat to global shipping.”
The humanitarian cost of the air campaign is expected to draw further scrutiny, particularly if civilian casualties are confirmed at sites like the migrant detention center in Saada.
