SANAA (AFP) – Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they attacked an American aircraft carrier group twice within 24 hours as they prepared for huge rallies yesterday after United States (US) strikes left dozens dead.
The response from the Houthis follows attacks on Saturday ordered by President Donald Trump that hammered the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and several other areas, killing 53 people, according to the rebels. The US struck the Houthis over their repeated attacks on Red Sea shipping sparked by the Gaza war, which have put a major strain on the vital trade route.
The rebels said they had hit back by firing 18 missiles and a drone at the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier group on Sunday, before launching a second strike hours later.
There was no immediate comment from the United States about the Houthis’ claimed attacks.
In a statement posted to Telegram, a Houthi spokesperson said the attacks were “in retaliation to the continued American aggression against our country”.
Washington has vowed to keep striking Yemen until the rebels stop attacking Red Sea shipping, with Trump warning he would use “overwhelming lethal force”.
“I call on our dear people to go out tomorrow on the anniversary of the Battle of Badr in a million-strong march in Sanaa and the rest of the governorates,” Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Huthi said in a televised address late on Sunday.
Sanaa’s Al Sabeen Square, the scene of regular major protests during the Israel-Hamas war, looked set to be packed once again for yesterday’s rally.
Late on Saturday, the Houthi-controlled capital was hit by heavy strikes, including in northern districts frequented by the rebels’ leadership. The Houthi Health Ministry said women and children were among the 53 people killed and 98 wounded.
“The house shook, the windows shattered, and my family and I were terrified,” father of two Ahmed, who declined to give his full name, told AFP.
The strikes were the first since Trump came to office in January, and came despite a pause in the Houthis’ attacks during a ceasefire in the Gaza war. On Sunday, US officials vowed further strikes until the rebels ended their campaign against Red Sea shipping, also threatening action against Iran.
Houthi media reported more explosions late on Sunday night, accusing the Americans of targeting a cotton facility in the Hodeida region and the Galaxy Leader, a cargo ship hijacked in November 2023.
In response to the latest escalation along the maritime trade route, the United Nations urged both sides to “cease all military activity”, while China reiterated calls for diplomacy.
“The reasons behind the situation in the Red Sea and the Yemen issue are complex and should be properly resolved through dialogue and negotiation,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning.
