The first US airstrikes against Yemen’s Huthis under President Donald Trump’s administration have left at least 21 dead, the rebels said Sunday, as Washington intensified warnings to Iran over its support for the group.

The Huthis, who have been targeting Israeli and Red Sea-linked vessels amid the Gaza war, claimed that children were among the casualties in the attacks.

An AFP journalist in the rebel-controlled capital, Sanaa, reported three explosions and rising smoke from a residential area, while additional strikes were recorded in the northern Saada region, a Huthi stronghold.

According to the Huthis’ health ministry, nine civilians were killed and nine others seriously wounded in Sanaa. Another strike in Saada reportedly claimed at least ten lives, with more wounded, while a separate attack in Alshaaf district killed two, according to the rebel-run Ansarollah website, which condemned the “US-British aggression.”

US Central Command (CENTCOM) released footage showing warplanes launching from an aircraft carrier and a precision-guided bomb striking a compound, stating the strikes were aimed at “defending American interests, deterring threats, and restoring maritime security.”

Trump vowed on social media to use “overwhelming lethal force” against the Huthis, citing threats to global shipping. The rebels, however, declared the attacks “will not go unanswered” and pledged to match escalation with counter-escalation.

Iran, a key backer of the Huthis, was urged by Trump to immediately withdraw support. The rebels, part of the pro-Iran "axis of resistance," have launched repeated drone and missile assaults on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, severely disrupting global trade routes.

Hamas denounced the US strikes as a "blatant violation of international law," while the US has reaffirmed its classification of the Huthis as a "foreign terrorist organization."

Source: Online

BDST: 1309 HRS, MAR 16, 2025
SMS