At least 68 African migrants have reportedly been killed in a US air strike on a detention centre located in Houthi-controlled north-western Yemen, according to Al Masirah, the armed group’s TV channel. The report also stated that 47 others were critically injured when the centre in Saada province was bombed. Graphic footage shared by Al Masirah showed bodies buried under rubble following the attack. The US military has yet to issue an official comment on this incident.

The strike occurred shortly after US Central Command (Centcom) announced it had targeted more than 800 sites linked to the Houthis since President Donald Trump ordered an intensification of military operations on 15 March. Centcom claimed that the ongoing campaign had eliminated “hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders,” including figures connected to the group’s missile and drone operations. However, Houthi-run authorities have consistently reported high civilian casualties, with comparatively few losses among their fighters.

At the time of the attack, the detention centre was reportedly housing 115 African migrants. Despite Yemen’s ongoing humanitarian crisis, caused by over a decade of civil war, thousands of migrants continue to make the perilous journey from the Horn of Africa, often hoping to cross into Saudi Arabia in search of work. Instead, many encounter detention, violence, and exploitation, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). In 2024 alone, nearly 60,900 migrants arrived in Yemen, frequently without the resources needed for survival.

This latest incident comes amid escalating tensions in the region. Earlier in April, the Houthi-run government reported that US air strikes on the Ras Isa oil terminal killed at least 74 people and injured 171 others. While Houthi officials described the terminal as a civilian facility and accused the US of committing a “war crime,” Centcom maintained that the strikes were necessary to cripple Houthi revenue streams funding their operations.

President Trump, who recently resumed office, has authorised large-scale military strikes against Houthi-held territories, vowing to “completely annihilate” the group if necessary. He has also renewed warnings against Iranian support for the Houthis, accusations Tehran has consistently denied. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have become increasingly dangerous for international shipping since November 2023, with Houthis launching dozens of attacks on merchant vessels, sinking two ships, seizing another, and causing the deaths of four crew members. Although the group claims to act in solidarity with Palestinians in the Israel-Gaza conflict, their attacks have not been limited to Israeli, US, or UK-linked vessels.

Despite the presence of Western naval forces and previous military campaigns under the Biden administration, the Houthis have continued their operations unabated. President Trump has since redesignated the group as a “Foreign Terrorist Organisation,” reversing a decision made by his predecessor to facilitate humanitarian efforts. The civil war in Yemen, which began when the Houthis seized large parts of the country from the internationally-recognised government, has killed more than 150,000 people. It has also triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with nearly 5 million displaced and half of the population in need of aid.