US pounds Houthi targets with fresh strikes in Yemen

Suspected US air strikes have pounded Yemen, reportedly killing at least one person as the US 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 was not immediately clear on Saturday.

The attacks followed a night of air strikes early on Friday that appeared particularly intense compared with other days in the campaign that began on March 15.

An Associated Press review has found the new US 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 show a mysterious airstrip just off Yemen in a key maritime choke point now appears ready to accept flights and B2 bombers within striking distance of the country on Saturday.

The strikes into Saturday targeted multiple areas in Yemen under the control of the Iranian-backed 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 are not in uniform.

Many of the strikes have not been fully acknowledged by the Houthis or the US military.

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

It posted a video showing an air strike targeting a site in Yemen, which an AP analysis links 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 communications ministry in Sanaa separately said US strikes on Friday destroyed “broadcasting stations, communication towers and the messaging network” in Amran and Saada governorates.

The new campaign of air strikes, which the Houthis now say have killed at least 58 people, started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting “Israeli” ships again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip.

The rebels in the past have had a loose definition of what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning other vessels could be targeted as well.

The Houthis had targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors during their campaign targeting ships from November 2023 until January 2025.

They also launched attacks targeting American warships, though none have been hit so far.

The US military has moved at least four long-range stealth B2 bombers to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, a base far outside of the range of the rebels that avoids using allies’ Mideast bases.