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Trump vowed to "use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective", citing the Huthis' threats against Red Sea shipping.
A plume of smoke billows during a US strike on Yemen’s Huthi-held capital Sanaa early Sunday. The first US strikes against Yemen’s Huthis since President Donald Trump took office in January killed at least 31 people, the rebels said as Washington warned Iran to stop backing the group. Picture: AFP/Mohammed Huwais
Thirty-three people were killed in deadly strikes on Yemen’s capital, Huthi rebels said after US President Donald Trump announced an attack on the Iran-backed group.
Another nine people were wounded in the first US strikes on the Huthis. The group have attacked Israel and Red Sea shipping throughout the Gaza war since Trump took office in January.
An AFP photographer in Sanaa heard three explosions and saw plumes of smoke coming from a residential district in the north of the rebel-held capital, Sanaa. Security forces cordoned off the area immediately.
“Nine civilians were killed and nine others were injured, most of them seriously,” the Huthis’ health and environment ministry said in a statement on their Saba news agency.
The rebels’ Al-Masirah TV station said an “American-British aggression raided a residential neighbourhood in the Shuub district” in Sanaa. There was no immediate comment from British authorities.
Trump vows ‘overwhelming lethal force’ against Huthis
In a post on social media, Trump vowed to “use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective”. He cited the Huthis’ threats against Red Sea shipping.
The rebels have controlled much of Yemen for more than a decade and are part of the “axis of resistance” of pro-Iran groups. They are staunchly opposed to Israel and the United States.
They have launched drone and missile attacks at ships passing Yemen in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden during the Gaza war. The group claimed solidarity with the Palestinians.
The campaign crippled the vital route, which normally carries about 12 percent of world shipping traffic. This forced many companies into a costly detour around the tip of southern Africa.
In response, the US has launched several rounds of strikes on Huthi targets, some with British support.
Their attacks were halted when Gaza’s ceasefire took effect in January. However, the Houthis last week threatened to resume them unless Israel lifts a blockade of aid to the Palestinian territory.
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