Topline
The Houthi militant group in Yemen on Monday alleged that at least 68 migrants from Africa were killed in an overnight U.S. strike on the country hit a migrant detention center in rebel-controlled territory, as U.S. military operations against the Iran-backed militia—which were ordered by President Donald Trump last month—continued.
Yemeni rescuers transport the bodies of victims pulled from the rubble of a building hit by alleged … More
Key Facts
Citing the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV, Reuters reported that 47 people were also injured in the alleged attack on the African migrant detention site in Yemen’s Saada Governorate.
The rebel-run news outlet aired graphic footage of the purported site of the attack, which showed dead bodies and wounded people at the site and the Houthi-run Interior Ministry claimed 115 migrants were being held at the location.
According to the Associated Press, the detained migrants are usually from Ethiopia and other African countries who are trying to enter Saudi Arabia by crossing through Yemen.
Late on Sunday, the U.S. military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a statement saying its forces have been conducting “an intense and sustained campaign targeting the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen” since March 15 and have struck “over 800 targets.”
The statement did not directly mention the alleged strike on rebel-controlled Saada, noting that it has “intentionally limited disclosing details of our ongoing or future operations” for “operational security” reasons.
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What Do We Know About Operation Rough Rider?
Operation Rough Rider, the U.S. military campaign targeting the Iran-backed Houthi militia began on March 15 following Trump’s orders. The president announced the start of the operations in a lengthy post on Truth Social saying he ordered the attacks on the Houthis in response to the militant group’s “unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones.” Trump’s comments were in reference to the Yemeni rebel group’s targeting of commercial and military shipping in the Red Sea since the start of the war in Gaza. Trump said he will no longer tolerate Houthi attacks on U.S. vessels in the region and will use “overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective.” CENTCOM’s Sunday night statement noted that while the Houthis “have continued to attack our vessels, our operations have degraded the pace and effectiveness of their attacks.”
Crucial Quote
“These operations have been executed using detailed and comprehensive intelligence ensuring lethal effects against the Houthis while minimizing risk to civilians…These strikes have killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders, including senior Houthi missile and UAV officials,” CENTCOM said. The statement also noted that the U.S. military “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.”
Key Background
The Houthis attack against Red Sea shipping began in late 2023, in what the group claims is a response to the ongoing Israeli military operation in Gaza. The Houthi’s have expressed solidarity with Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 and the group considered itself a part of the Iran-backed axis-of-resistance against Israel and the U.S. the region. The so-called axis includes the Houthis, Hamas and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah. The Houthis have been engaged in a decade-long civil war with the Saudi Arabia-backed Yemeni government leadership and the conflict is considered a part of wider proxy war in the region between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Further Reading
Trump Orders Military Strikes Against Houthis In Yemen And Threatens Iran (Forbes)
Who Are the Houthis, and Why Are the U.S. and Israel Attacking Them? (New York Times)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2025/04/28/houthis-claim-us-strike-on-yemen-killed-68-african-migrants-held-in-detention-site/