The Pentagon said on Tuesday that US Central Command forces have struck 1,000 targets in Yemen since March 15, a massive bombing campaign that has killed hundreds of civilians and failed to deter the Houthis.
“USCENTCOM strikes have hit over 1,000 targets, killing Houthi fighters and leaders, including senior Houthi missile and UAV officials, and degrading their capabilities,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement on the first 100 days of the Trump administration.
On Sunday, CENTCOM said its forces had struck 800 targets in Yemen, suggesting a significant uptick in US airstrikes on the country in recent days. The Pentagon has shared virtually no details of its bombing campaign, which CENTCOM acknowledged, claiming it was protecting “operational security.”
According to the Yemen Data Project, US airstrikes on Yemen killed at least 158 civilians and wounded 342 from March 15 to April 22. On Monday, the US bombed a detention facility for African migrants, killing 68 people. If all of the casualties were migrants, which appears to be the case, that would bring the total number of civilians killed by the US to at least 226.
While the Pentagon claims the bombing campaign has been a success, the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, have shown no sign of backing down. In recent weeks, Yemeni air defenses have shot down seven US MQ-9 Reaper drones, which are worth $30 million each.
On Monday, the US Navy said it lost a $60 million F/A-18 fighter jet when it fell overboard as the aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman made a hard turn to avoid a Houthi attack, suggesting a missile or drone fired from Yemen came close to hitting the warship.
Ansar Allah leaders have repeatedly vowed they will only stop attacks on Israel and end their blockade on Israeli shipping if a ceasefire is reached in Gaza. They have offered to stop attacking US warships if the US stops bombing Yemen, but the Trump administration has shown no interest in the offer.
