At Least 68 Dead After US Airstrike Hits Migrant Detention Center in Yemen

US Airstrike in Saada among deadliest in ongoing US campaign against Houthis; CENTCOM reports significant reduction in Houthi attacks on shipping lanes.

Sanaa [Yemen], April 28:
US military airstrikes in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and other parts of the country have resulted in the deaths of dozens, including at least 68 people at a migrant detention center, according to Houthi-affiliated media, Al Jazeera reported.

Initial strikes across the city claimed the lives of at least eight individuals. A separate attack targeting a detention facility in Saada, housing migrants from Ethiopia and other African nations, caused mass casualties, with Al Masirah TV broadcasting graphic footage from the scene.

The detention center was sheltering around 100 migrants who had been detained while attempting to travel through Yemen to seek employment opportunities in Saudi Arabia.

This tragedy follows a deadly US strike on April 18 at Yemen’s Ras Isa fuel port, which reportedly killed at least 74 people and injured 171 others — marking the deadliest known US attack in Yemen to date, per Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it has conducted over 800 targeted strikes against Houthi targets since March 15. The campaign, aimed at restoring freedom of navigation and reinforcing American deterrence in the region, has reportedly reduced Houthi ballistic missile launches by 69% and drone attacks by 55%.

In a statement released Sunday, CENTCOM emphasized the need for operational secrecy, declining to share specifics about ongoing or future military actions.
“We are very deliberate in our operational approach but will not reveal specifics about what we’ve done or what we will do,” CENTCOM stated.

US strikes have reportedly destroyed multiple command-and-control centers, air defense systems, weapons manufacturing sites, and advanced weapons storage facilities.

Houthi attacks against international shipping intensified after the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war, despite warnings from US President Joe Biden to Iran and its allies to avoid escalation. Although the Houthis initially claimed they would only target ships linked to Israel, they have since expanded their assaults to vessels connected to various other nations.