Yemen's Houthi rebels alleged Monday that a U.S. airstrike struck a prison facility housing African migrants, killing at least 68 and injuring 47 others, in what could become one of the deadliest single incidents since the American military expanded operations in the region. The U.S. military's Central Command has not acknowledged responsibility for the strike.
The attack reportedly took place in the Saada governorate, a northern stronghold of the Iranian-backed Houthis. The prison was said to be holding 115 African migrants, primarily from Ethiopia and other Horn of Africa nations, who had crossed Yemen in hopes of reaching Saudi Arabia for work. Graphic footage broadcast by the Houthis' al-Masirah television channel showed bodies strewn amid rubble, with survivors crying out in pain.
Footage analyzed by the Associated Press revealed concrete walls pocked with shrapnel damage and debris littering the compound. A faint voice in the footage recited a prayer in Arabic: "In the name of God," as gunfire rang out and medics rushed to aid the wounded.
The Houthi-run Civil Defense agency confirmed 68 fatalities and 47 injuries. The group's Interior Ministry denounced the attack as a "deliberate bombing" and labeled it a "war crime."
The International Organization for Migration, a U.N. agency, said it was "deeply saddened" by reports of the deaths and urged all parties to prioritize civilian protection. "It is imperative that all efforts are made to avoid harm to civilians and to protect those most vulnerable," the organization said.
U.S. Central Command, in a statement issued hours before news of the prison strike surfaced, defended its policy of withholding operational specifics. "To preserve operational security, we have intentionally limited disclosing details of our ongoing or future operations," the statement read. Central Command did not immediately respond to inquiries about the prison strike.
The strike comes amid "Operation Rough Rider," a campaign ordered by President Donald Trump aimed at degrading Houthi capabilities. Central Command said Monday that over 800 individual strikes had been conducted, claiming the lives of "hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders" associated with missile and drone programs.
Humanitarian concerns are mounting over the escalating civilian toll. Migrants from Ethiopia and other African countries have long been trapped in Yemen's conflict, often falling victim to abuse, detention, and violence on their perilous journeys toward Saudi Arabia. A 2022 U.N. report accused Saudi forces of shelling and shooting migrants along the border, killing hundreds-claims Saudi Arabia has denied.
Monday's incident echoes a 2022 Saudi-led coalition airstrike on another Saada detention center that killed 66 and wounded 113. A U.N. investigation later concluded that the coalition "should have avoided any attack" on the known detention site.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military acknowledged strikes on Yemen's Ras Isa fuel port on April 18 that killed at least 74 and wounded 171. Central Command defended the strike, stating, "U.S. strikes destroyed the ability of Ras Isa Port to accept fuel, which will begin to impact Houthi ability to conduct operations and generate revenue for terror activities."
Houthis have increasingly clamped down on communications in territory under their control, recently banning the possession of Starlink satellite internet receivers and threatening arrests.
The Houthis, part of Iran's "Axis of Resistance," continue launching missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea and against Israel, despite U.S. and allied strikes. Washington has designated the group a "Foreign Terrorist Organization," reinstating a classification removed by the Biden administration.
Over the past decade, Yemen's civil war has left more than 150,000 people dead and displaced nearly 5 million, according to U.N. figures. Half of Yemen's population now requires humanitarian assistance as fighting grinds on.
