At least eight people have been killed following U.S. airstrikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Sunday night, according to Houthi-run health authorities. Rescue workers are searching for survivors amid the rubble of three homes destroyed in the Bani Al-Harith district in northern Sanaa, with dozens more reported injured.
The airstrikes mark a significant escalation in tensions between the Houthi group and the United States. The Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported nearly 20 U.S. airstrikes targeting multiple locations across northern Yemen, including the capital, throughout Sunday.
The U.S. Central Command stated that the airstrikes were aimed at Houthi leadership. These strikes come just a day after similar U.S. air raids reportedly killed two people and wounded ten others in southern and northern Sanaa.
Tensions have intensified since Washington resumed airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen on March 15. The strikes are intended to deter the Houthis from targeting Israel and international shipping in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.
Yemen has been engulfed in a civil war since 2014, when the Houthi group seized control of the capital and much of the country’s north, forcing the internationally recognized government into exile. The ongoing conflict has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with millions facing food insecurity and limited access to basic services.
International observers fear that the recent escalation could further destabilize the region and exacerbate the suffering of civilians caught in the crossfire.
