Dying toll from US strikes on Yemen rises to 53, Houthis say

The demise toll from US strikes on Yemen has risen to 53, together with 5 youngsters, the Houthi rebels’ well being ministry stated.

The US stated it launched a “decisive and highly effective” wave of air strikes on Houthi targets on Saturday, with President Donald Trump citing Houthi assaults on delivery within the Pink Sea as the rationale.

Washington stated some key Houthi figures have been among the many useless, however the group has not confirmed this.

Houthi chief Abdul Malik al-Houthi stated that his militants would goal US ships within the Pink Sea so long as the US continues its assaults on Yemen.

Updating an earlier demise toll, Houthi well being ministry spokesperson Anis al-Asbahi posted on X that 53 folks had been killed together with “5 youngsters and two ladies”, and that 98 folks had been wounded.

One father of two, who gave his title as Ahmed, instructed the AFP information company: “I have been residing in Sanaa for 10 years, listening to shelling all through the battle. By God, I’ve by no means skilled something like this earlier than.”

The Houthis stated contemporary US strikes have been launched on Sunday night time within the port metropolis of Hudaydah. The US is but to remark.

US Nationwide Safety Advisor Michael Waltz instructed ABC Information that Saturday’s strikes “focused a number of Houthi leaders and took them out”.

He instructed Fox Information: “We simply hit them with overwhelming drive and put Iran on discover that sufficient is sufficient.”

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed an “unrelenting” missile marketing campaign till the Houthi assaults cease.

“I need to be very clear, this marketing campaign is about freedom of navigation and restoring deterrence,” Hegseth stated in a televised Fox Enterprise interview.

The Houthis stated it might proceed to focus on Pink Sea delivery till Israel lifted its blockade of Gaza, and that its forces would reply to the strikes.

The Iranian-backed insurgent group, which considers Israel its enemy, controls Sanaa and the north-west of Yemen, however it’s not the nation’s internationally-recognised authorities.

The Houthis have stated they’re appearing in help of the Palestinians within the battle between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and have claimed – usually falsely – that they’re concentrating on ships solely linked to Israel, the US or the UK.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have focused dozens of service provider vessels with missiles, drones and small boat assaults within the Pink Sea and the Gulf of Aden. They’ve sunk two vessels, seized a 3rd, and killed 4 crew members.

Asserting Saturday’s strikes, Trump stated “we are going to use overwhelming deadly drive till we have now achieved our goal”.

“Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have fired missiles at US plane, and focused our Troops and Allies,” Trump stated on social media, including that their “piracy, violence, and terrorism” had price “billions” and put lives in danger.

Addressing the Houthis immediately, Trump wrote that if they didn’t cease, “HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE”.

However the Houthis have been unwavering of their response, saying the aggression wouldn’t diminish their help for Palestinians.

Iran’s Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi stated the US authorities had “no authority, or enterprise, dictating Iranian overseas coverage”.

“Finish help for Israeli genocide and terrorism,” he posted on X on Sunday. “Cease killing of Yemeni folks.”

The Houthis’ army spokesperson stated on Sunday, with out providing proof, that the group had focused US plane service USS Harry S. Truman and its warships within the Pink Sea with ballistic missiles and drones in response to the US assaults.

However a US official instructed Reuters information company that US warplanes shot down 11 Houthi drones on Sunday, none of which got here near the Truman.

UN Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres on Sunday known as for “utmost restraint and a cessation of all army actions” in Yemen.