The death toll from Saturday night’s US-UK airstrikes on multiple Yemeni cities has climbed to 31, with 101 others injured, primarily women and children, according to the Houthi-run Health Ministry on Sunday.
Ministry spokesperson Anis Al-Asbahi stated that the strikes on civilian and residential areas in Sanaa, Saada, Al-Bayda, and Rada’a resulted in 132 casualties, including 31 deaths and 101 injuries. He noted that these numbers are preliminary as search efforts continue to recover victims.
Condemning the attacks, Asbahi described them as a “full-fledged war crime” and a violation of international laws and conventions.
The Iran-backed Houthi group had initially reported 24 deaths and 23 injuries from the airstrikes. The Houthis recently warned Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza by March 7 or face renewed attacks on Israeli-linked vessels.
The US launched the strikes in response to continued Houthi assaults on Red Sea shipping, with President Donald Trump warning of severe consequences if such actions persisted. Since late 2023, the Houthis have been targeting Israeli-linked ships, citing solidarity with Gaza. While they halted attacks following a January ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, they threatened to resume them after Israel blocked aid to Gaza on March 2.
