New US airstrikes target multiple areas in Yemen

Suspected US airstrikes pounded Yemen overnight into Saturday, reportedly killing at least one person as the American military acknowledged earlier bombing a major military site in the heart of Sanaa controlled by the Houthi rebels.

The full extent of the damage and possible casualties wasn’t immediately clear. The attacks followed a night of airstrikes early on Friday that appeared particularly intense compared to other days in the campaign that began March 15.

An Associated Press review has found the new American operation under President Donald Trump appears more extensive than those under former President Joe Biden, as the US moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel as well as dropping bombs in cities.

Meanwhile, satellite photos analysed by the AP show a mysterious airstrip just off Yemen in a key maritime chokepoint now appears ready to accept flights and B-2 bombers within striking distance of the country on Saturday.

Medics prepare the body of a man who died of injuries by a US air strike, at a hospital in Saada, Yemen, on Friday. Reuters

The strikes into Saturday targeted multiple areas in Yemen under the control of the Houthis, including the capital, Sanaa, and in the governorates of Al Jawf and Saada, rebel-controlled media reported. The strikes in Saada killed one person and wounded four others, the Houthi-run SABA news agency said.

SABA identified the person killed as a civilian.

Houthi fighters and their allies often aren’t in uniform. However, analysts believe the rebels may be undercounting the fatalities given the strikes have been targeting military and intelligence sites run by the rebels.

Many of the strikes haven’t been fully acknowledged by the Houthis — or the US military — while the rebels also tightly control access on the ground.

One strike early on Friday, however, has been confirmed by the US military’s Central Command, which oversees its Mideast operations.

It posted a black-and-white video early Saturday showing an airstrike targeting a site in Yemen.

While it didn’t identify the location, an AP analysis of the footage’s details corresponds to a known strike on Friday in Sanaa. The footage shows the bomb striking the military’s general command headquarters held by the Houthis, something the rebels have not reported.

The Houthi-controlled Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministry in Sanaa separately said US strikes on Friday destroyed “broadcasting stations, communication towers and the messaging network” in Amran and Saada governorates. The strikes in Amran around the Jebel Aswad, or “Black Mountain,” had appeared particularly intense.

Associated Press