The Houthi rebels of Yemen announced that the death toll has risen to 53 and 98 wounded from the airstrikes launched by the United States and insisted that they will respond with missiles and face the 'escalation for escalation.' The Ministry of Health stated that 'the number (of victims) from the 47 attacks of the aggression by the government of Donald Trump against Yemen and other Yemeni governorates rose to 151 people,' of which '53 martyrs (dead), including five children and two women, and 98 injured.' The mentioned department condemned that these attacks 'targeted installations and civilian individuals,' which 'constitutes outright war crimes that should be added to the criminal record of the United States.'
The Houthi military spokesman, Yehya Sarea, stated this Monday that his movement attacked with missiles and drones 'for the second time,' during the night from Sunday to Monday, 'the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman' in the Red Sea, and 'frustrated a new U.S. attack' against Yemen. 'In response to the U.S. aggression against our country, the armed forces (as the Houthis define themselves) attacked for the second time in 24 hours the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman with several ballistic missiles and drones,' Sarea said. He assured, in a new statement, that after this alleged Houthi attack, the rebel formation 'made a new attack that the American enemy was preparing against Yemen fail,' as 'the enemy's military planes were forced to return to their bases after the launch of missiles and drones against the aircraft carrier and several of its warships.' Sarea warned that his movement, backed by Iran, 'will face the aggression,' and 'will face the escalation with escalation,' while considering 'other alternatives if the aggression continues.'
The U.S. launched a series of airstrikes on the night of last Saturday against various cities controlled by the Houthis in northern and central Yemen, as well as in the capital, Sana'a. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday night that its forces 'continue operations against the Houthi terrorists backed by Iran...'
The military actions respond to an order from U.S. President Donald Trump, after the Houthis assured this week that they will resume their military operations in the Red and Arabian Seas against Israeli or related vessels in support of the Palestinians in Gaza Strip. Trump, whose administration classifies the Houthis as a terrorist group, also warned Iran to stop its support for the Yemeni rebels, and promised 'hell' to the 'Houthi terrorists' if they do not stop their threat to international shipping. The Yemeni insurgent movement has launched hundreds of attacks against Israel, as well as against commercial shipping in the Red and Arabian Seas, since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.
