Yemen Vows Response to US Strikes as Death Toll Rises to 24

IQNA – Yemen’s Houthi movement has pledged to respond to recent US military aggression, following a series of American airstrikes that targeted multiple locations across the country, including the capital, Sanaa, and the northern province of Saada.

The strikes came after the Ansarullah movement warned that they would resume attacks on vessels linked to Israel in the Red Sea, citing Israel's blockade of Gaza.

The US offensive, which began on Saturday and extended into early Sunday, resulted in at least 24 fatalities, according to the Al Masirah TV.

The outlet reported that casualties included 13 deaths in Sanaa, 10 in the Kahza region of Saada, and another fatality in the Sakayn district of Saada. At least 23 people were wounded across the targeted areas.

The Ansarullah movement slammed the US operation, accusing Washington of exaggerating the threat to maritime shipping lanes to sway international opinion.

Its spokesperson Mohammed Abdul-Salam rejected claims made by US President Donald Trump, calling the assertions about threats to navigation in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait “false and misleading.” He further stated that Yemen's maritime restrictions are solely aimed at Israeli-linked shipping and are contingent on the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. However, following a Gaza ceasefire in January, the Houthis had paused these operations until they signaled a potential resumption due to ongoing Israeli restrictions on Gaza.

US officials claimed that the strikes were part of a broader campaign targeting Houthi military assets, with fighter jets from the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier, stationed in the Red Sea, taking part. US Central Command described the onslaught as the initiation of a “large-scale operation across Yemen.”

In a separate statement, Ansarullah’s political bureau condemned the attacks, labeling them “a full-fledged war crime” and attributing the strikes to Yemen’s “position of solidarity with the Palestinian people.”

The group asserted that the assaults on civilian areas “will not go unanswered” and vowed that Yemen’s armed forces are prepared to respond proportionally.

Source: Agencies