Houthi rebels say US strike killed 68 African migrants in Saada detention center

Yemen's Houthi rebels said on Monday that a US airstrike in the Saada governorate struck a detention center holding African migrants, killing at least 68 people.

The rebels' Civil Defense organization reported that 47 others were wounded in the attack.

The US military has not commented yet. Over the weekend, the US military's Central Command stated it would not reveal specific details about its military strikes targeting the Houthis.

"To preserve operational security, we have intentionally limited disclosing details of our ongoing or future operations," Central Command said. "We are very deliberate in our operational approach, but will not reveal specifics about what we've done or what we will do."

African migrants caught in Yemen's war

The Houthi-run Interior Ministry said some 115 migrants had been detained at the site in Saada, "all of African nationalities."

The reported strike is the latest incident in Yemen's decade-long war, during which African migrants attempting to cross the country for work in neighboring Saudi Arabia have been killed.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) nearly 60,900 migrants arrived in Yemen, last year alone. 

The migrants are often vulnerable to trafficking gangs, many of which are believed to be working with armed groups involved in the conflict.

Why are the US targeting Houthis?

The Houthis are an Iran-backed Shiite Muslim militia that has been fighting a civil war in Yemen since 2014. The group controls large swaths of the conflict-ridden country, including the capital, Sanaa.

They began attacking ships near the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in late 2023 in retaliation for Israel's ground offensive in Gaza.

Last month, US President Donald Trump, vowed on social media, to "use overwhelming lethal force" to end the Houthi attacks.

He wrote the attacks must stop warning "hell would rain down upon you," if they did not. 

The US military said it had struck over 800 targets in Yemen since mid-March, which it claimed killed hundreds of Houthis and destroyed the militant group's facilities.

Despite this the rebels have continued to claim attacks against both US vessels and Israel. They say their attacks are a show of solidarity with Palestinians.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared details of at least one attack in a Signal chat with top administration officials. The editor-in-chief of The Atlantic was mistakenly added to this chain. He reportedly shared it in a separate chat that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer, sources privy to the matter told US media.