Houthis say 68 killed in US strike on migrant centre

Houthi rebel-controlled media in Yemen has said that US strikes hit a migrant detention centre and killed at least 68 people in the movement's stronghold of Saada.

The US military has hammered the Iran-backed Houthis with near-daily strikes since 15 March in an operation dubbed "Rough Rider," seeking to end the threat they pose to vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The Houthis launched strikes targeting Israel and Western vessels in the Red Sea, in what they describe as solidarity with the Palestinians, since Hamas conducted the worst-ever attack on Israel in October 2023.

Yesterday, the US military said it has hit more than 800 targets in Yemen since mid-March, killing hundreds of Houthi rebels including members of the group's leadership.

This morning, Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV said US strikes had targeted a detention centre for African migrants, and that 68 people were killed.

Al-Masirah's claim has not been independently verified.

According to a statement cited by Al-Masirah from the HOuthi administration's interior ministry, the centre housed "115 migrants, all from Africa".

The Iran-backed Houthis began targeting shipping in late 2023, preventing ships from passing through the Suez Canal - a vital route that normally carries about 12% of global trade - forcing many companies into a costly detour around the tip of southern Africa.

In a statement, the US military command responsible for the Middle East said: "Since the start of Operation Rough Rider, USCENTCOM has struck over 800 targets.

"These strikes have killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Huthi leaders."

"The strikes have destroyed multiple command-and-control facilities, air defence systems, advanced weapons manufacturing facilities, and advanced weapons storage locations," CENTCOM said.

Despite the strikes, the Houthis - who control large swathes of Yemen and have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition backing the internationally recognised government since 2015 - have continued to claim attacks against both US vessels and Israel.

Al-Masirah TV yesterday reported that US strikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa had killed at least eight people and wounded others.

US military to limit disclosing details on Yemen strikes

The US military has said it will not reveal specific details about its military strikes in Yemen, citing what it called the need "to preserve operational security" while also saying the strikes had "lethal effects" on Houthi rebels.

President Donald Trump ordered the intensification of US strikes on Yemen last month.

Rights advocates have raised concerns about civilian killings and three Democratic senators, including Senator Chris Van Hollen, wrote to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Thursday demanding an accounting for loss of civilian lives.

Mr Hegseth has also come under fire for using the unclassified messaging system Signal to discuss Yemen attack plans.

"To preserve operational security, we have intentionally limited disclosing details of our ongoing or future operations. We are very deliberate in our operational approach, but will not reveal specifics about what we've done or what we will do," the US Central Command said in a statement.

The US says the strikes aim to cut off Houthi military and economic capabilities while minimising civilian harm.

It said on Thursday that an 20 April blast near a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Yemen's capital Sanaa was caused by a Houthi missile and not a US airstrike. The Houthis said 12 people were killed in that incident and dismissed the US denial.

The Houthis say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza where Israel's war has killed over 51,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in October 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israel.