Twelve people were killed and 30 wounded in U.S. airstrikes on Yemen's capital of Sanaa, Houthi officials said Monday, as Washington's military campaign against the Iranian-backed group escalates. The strikes reportedly targeted the Furwah neighborhood and a market in the Shoub district, an area long held by the Houthis.
Footage broadcast by the Houthis' al-Masirah television channel showed chaotic scenes of destruction, with damaged buildings and vehicles. Onlookers were seen screaming, some carrying what appeared to be a dead child. Others were shown on stretchers entering hospitals in the aftermath.
The U.S. military's Central Command has not commented on the latest reports or acknowledged civilian casualties. According to Houthi media, additional airstrikes overnight hit sites across Amran, Hodeida, Marib, and Saada governorates.
The deaths come amid an increasingly aggressive American military posture in Yemen. On Thursday, a U.S. strike on Ras Isa port reportedly killed at least 80 people and injured over 150, marking one of the deadliest attacks in the current campaign. Since March, more than 200 people have reportedly died in U.S. strikes across Houthi-held territory.
The Trump administration has framed the strikes as necessary to deter Houthi threats against Red Sea shipping and Israel. "The strikes are aimed at forcing the group to stop threatening ships in the Red Sea," U.S. officials said, according to public statements last month.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched over 100 missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea, two of which were sunk. The disruptions have forced major shipping companies to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, delaying supply chains and raising transportation costs.
The Houthis briefly suspended attacks during a ceasefire in Gaza earlier this year, but resumed operations after hostilities restarted in the enclave. The group, officially known as Ansar Allah, has aligned itself with Iran's regional coalition, pledging solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel's war in Gaza.
