US airstrikes kill 2, injure 7 in fresh raids on northern Yemen, say Houthis

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) - Two people were killed and seven others injured in renewed US airstrikes on northern Yemen, the Houthi-run Health Ministry said Monday, as American military operations in the region continue to escalate.

The ministry reported that a U.S. airstrike targeted a vehicle in the Bani Qais district of Hajjah province, killing two individuals and injuring a child. In a separate incident, six people were injured in what the ministry described as “an American aggression” on the Saraf area in northern Sanaa.

Washington has yet to issue a statement regarding the latest attacks.

According to figures from the Houthi-controlled Health Ministry, US strikes have killed more than 60 people and wounded over 140 -- including women and children -- since the beginning of the air campaign.

The United States has significantly intensified its strikes on Houthi-controlled territory in recent days. U.S. President Donald Trump defended the military escalation, saying he had ordered “decisive and powerful military action” against the group, later warning that the Houthis would be “completely annihilated” if attacks on maritime traffic continued.

Since late 2023, the Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Israeli-linked vessels transiting through the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, in what they say is an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The group had briefly paused attacks following a ceasefire in January between Israel and Hamas but resumed them when Israel restarted its offensive in Gaza, where over 50,250 people have been killed.