Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced on Monday that a US airstrike in the Saada

Yemen's Houthi rebels announced on Monday that a US airstrike in the Saada governorate targeted a detention facility housing African migrants, resulting in the deaths of at least 68 individuals.

The rebels' Civil Defense organization also reported that 47 more people sustained injuries during the attack. The US military has not yet issued a comment regarding the incident. Over the weekend, Central Command of the US military stated that it would refrain from disclosing specific details about strikes aimed at the Houthis.

"To maintain operational security, we intentionally limit the information we share regarding our ongoing or future operations," Central Command explained. "Our operational approach is highly deliberate, but we will not provide specifics about what actions have been taken or what will occur in the future."
 
African Migrants Caught in Yemen's Conflict: The Houthi-controlled Interior Ministry indicated that approximately 115 migrants, all of African nationality, were detained at the facility in Saada. This strike is part of Yemen's prolonged civil war, which has seen African migrants, seeking employment in Saudi Arabia, face fatalities while trying to traverse the country. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), nearly 60,900 migrants arrived in Yemen last year alone. These migrants are particularly vulnerable to trafficking networks, many of which are believed to collaborate with armed groups involved in the ongoing conflict. Background on the Houthi Conflict: The Houthis are an Iran-backed Shiite militia that has been embroiled in Yemen's civil war since 2014, controlling significant territories, including the capital, Sanaa. In late 2023, they began targeting vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden as retaliation for Israel's military actions in Gaza. Last month, former US President Donald Trump declared on social media that he would use "overwhelming lethal force" to put an end to Houthi assaults, warning that "hell would rain down upon you" if the attacks did not cease. Since mid-March, the US military reported conducting strikes on more than 800 targets in Yemen, claiming these operations have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Houthis and the destruction of the militia's infrastructure. Nevertheless, the rebels have continued to assert attacks against US vessels and Israel, framing their actions as expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people. Additionally, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth inadvertently shared details of at least one attack via a Signal chat intended for top officials, mistakenly including the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. This information was later circulated in a separate chat involving his family and personal lawyer, as reported by US media sources.