There was a reported US-British joint military mission in Sanaa, Yemen, as the air raid targeted locations that are allegedly used by the Houthi militia organization to manufacture drones. British authorities confirmed that it was the facilities where drones are manufactured that were targeted.
In a break with the US’s more reticent policy of not speaking publicly about its Yemen operations since March 15, the UK Ministry of Defence provided a detailed report of the raids. The night raid, approximately 24 kilometers south of Sanaa, was on structures British intelligence determined were central to the production of drones employed in attacks on Red Sea ships. The Ministry asserted that the operation was well planned to minimize risks to civilians, though casualty figures were not reported.
While the US has been conducting a series of strikes on Houthi targets over the past few weeks, an official confirmation of this specific joint operation is yet to be made. In March, former US President Donald Trump authorized the military to carry out “decisive and strong” attacks against the Houthis, at their own behest if they continued to attack Red Sea shipping. The Pentagon says follow-up attacks have struck over 1,000 targets in Yemen, killing Houthi combatants and commanders, and degrading their fighting power.
In the midst of all these military campaigns, concerns are growing regarding civilian casualties. Houthi-affiliated media sources reported that a recent US air raid on Monday targeted a detention facility where African migrants were being detained, killing 68. Mwatana for Human Rights, a Sanaa-based organization, has reported numerous civilian casualties from recent US attacks.
For more than a decade of conflict, Yemeni civilians have been subjected to indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks by combatants,” said Mwatana Chairwoman Radhya al-Mutawakel. “When they were expecting to witness an end to this bloody episode in their lives, today they become potential targets of US forces’ attacks.
One American defense official, interviewed by Reuters news agency, confirmed the Pentagon’s awareness of reports of civilian casualties from Monday’s strike and stated that an evaluation of the situation is underway.
The Houthis have maintained control of vast expanses of Yemen nearly a decade now. The organization has conducted missile and drone attacks on ships they claim are affiliated with Israel in the Red Sea since November 2023, an event that has seriously affected global shipping lanes.
