21 people were killed in strikes on Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Saturday, Houthi rebels said, after US President Donald Trump announced an attack on the Iran-backed group.
“Nine civilians were killed and nine others were injured, most of them seriously,” the Houthis’ health and environment ministry said in a statement on their Saba news agency, reporting the strikes on Sanaa.
A strike in the Saada region killed at least 10 people and wounded others, according to the Houthi Ansarollah website, condemning what it called “US-British aggression” and Washington’s “criminal brutality”.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM), which posted images of fighters taking off from an aircraft carrier and a bomb demolishing a building compound, said “precision strikes” were launched to “defend American interests, deter enemies, and restore freedom of navigation”.
In a post on social media, Trump vowed to “use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective”, citing the Houthis’ threats against Red Sea shipping.
The Houthis hit back in a statement on Al-Masirah vowing that the strikes “will not pass without response”.
“Our Yemeni armed forces are fully prepared to confront escalation with escalation,” the rebels’ political bureau said.
Trump also warned Iran that it must “immediately” cut support to the rebels.
