At least 68 killed in US airstrike on Yemen jail holding African migrants, Houthi rebels say

At least 68 people have been killed after a US airstrike on a prison holding African migrants in Yemen, Houthi rebels claim.

The group’s civil defence organisation added 47 people were wounded in the strike at the site in the Saada governorate in northwest Yemen – a rebel stronghold.

Yemen’s interior ministry has claimed around 115 migrants were being detained at the prison at the time of the strike on Monday – equal to the total amount the Houthis are claiming are either dead or injured.

The US military has not immediately commented on the reports and there has been no independent confirmation.

Graphic footage aired by the Houthi’s al-Masirah satellite news channel shows what appears to be dead bodies and others wounded at the site.

A woman’s voice, soft in the footage, can be heard repeating the start of a prayer in Arabic: “In the name of God.”

An occasional gunshot is heard ringing out as medics seek to help those wounded.

It comes as the Houthis have also claimed at least eight people were killed overnight after US airstrikes targeted Yemen’s capital Sanaa.

The US has been targeting Houthis because of the group’s attacks on shipping in the Red Sea – a crucial global trade route – and on Israel.

The Houthis are also the last militant group in Iran’s self-described “Axis of Resistance” that is capable of regularly attacking Israel.

US President Donald Trump has intensified military operations against the group, conducting the deadliest strike so far earlier this month on a fuel terminal on the Red Sea that killed at least 74 people.

The American military has acknowledged carrying out more than 800 individual strikes in a month-long campaign known as Operation Rough Rider.

Washington has pledged to continue its attacks on the Houthis until they cease assaults on Red Sea shipping.

In a statement early on Monday before news of the strike broke, the US military’s Central Command sought to defend its policy of offering no specific details of its extensive airstrike campaign against 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.”

The overnight statement from Central Command also said Operation Rough Rider had “killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders,” including those associated with its missile and drone programme.

It did not identify any of those officials.

“Iran undoubtedly continues to provide support to the Houthis,” the statement added.

“The Houthis can only continue to attack our forces with the backing of the Iranian regime.”

The US campaign of strikes against the Houthis has drawn controversy after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was linked to two group chats understood to have contained details of attacks on the rebel group.

Why are African migrants in Yemen?

A decades-long civil war has been taking place between the Houthi rebels and the Saudi coalition that backs Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

Ethiopians and other African migrants have for years tried to travel across the war-torn nation in an effort to reach Saudi Arabia for work.

The Houthi rebels are said to make tens of thousands of dollars a week smuggling migrants over the border.

Migrants from Ethiopia have found themselves detained, abused and even killed in Saudi Arabia and Yemen during the war.

Saudi Arabia has denied killing migrants.