Eight people killed in strikes on Yemen capital – reports

Rebel Houthi media reported that US strikes on the Yemen capital Sanaa had killed at least eight people and wounded others.

Rebel-controlled Al-Massira TV reported: "Eight martyrs, including children and women... as a preliminary toll of the American aggression on the Thaqban area in Bani Al-Har Directorate" in the north of Sanaa.

The Houthis also reported other strikes, notably on their stronghold of Saada in the north, and the northern Amran province.

Earlier yesterday, Houthi media said that overnight strikes on Yemen's capital Sanaa attributed to the United States had killed two people and wounded several others.

The latest strikes raise the death toll of US strikes against Yemen to 228, according to an AFP tally based on Houthi announcements.

Meanwhile, the US military said that since 15 March it had struck more than 800 targets in Yemen.

"These strikes have killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders," CENTCOM, the US military command in the region, said in a statement.

The Houthis, part of Iran's "axis of resistance" against Israel and the United States, portray themselves as defenders of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The US military has, since January 2024, been attacking Houthi positions to try to stop their missile and drone attacks on Israel and at cargo vessels plying the key Red Sea trade route.

Houthi attacks have hampered shipping through the Suez Canal - a vital route that normally carries about 12% of world shipping traffic - forcing many companies into costly detours around the tip of southern Africa.

Since President Donald Trump took office in January, the US air campaign has intensified, with almost daily strikes over the past month.

Yesterday, the Houthis claimed to have launched a missile towards Israel for the second time in two days.

The Israeli army reported intercepting a missile from Yemen before it crossed into the country's territory.

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

CENTCOM said that "while the Houthis have continued to attack our vessels, our operations have degraded the pace and effectiveness of their attacks. Ballistic missile launches have dropped by 69 percent. Additionally, attacks from one-way attack drones have decreased by 55 percent."

"Iran undoubtedly continues to provide support to the Houthis. The Houthis can only continue to attack our forces with the backing of the Iranian regime," the military command said.

"We will continue to ratchet up the pressure until the objective is met, which remains the restoration of freedom of navigation and American deterrence in the region," it added.

The Houthi rebels began targeting shipping in late 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by a military campaign launched by Israel after a shock Hamas attack in October of that year.

The US first began conducting strikes against the Houthis under the Biden administration, and Mr Trump has vowed that military action against the rebels will continue until they are no longer a threat to shipping.