Published: 10:07, March 18, 2025
US military launches fresh airstrikes on Yemen's Houthi-held Sanaa
By Xinhua
This image taken from a video provided by the US Navy shows an aircraft launching from the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea before airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, March 15, 2025. (PHOTO / US NAVY VIA AP)

SANAA/ADEN - The US military launched fresh airstrikes on Yemen's capital Sanaa late Monday night, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.

The strikes hit the western part of Sanaa, the television said without providing further details.

There were no reports of casualties yet.

According to residents, the strikes targeted a military site and depots on a hill run by the Houthi group.

Earlier on Monday, Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Al-Alimi warned that maritime routes will remain a persistent source of regional tension as long as Houthi forces maintain control over Yemen's coastal territories.

ALSO READ: Trump: Iran to suffer dire consequences for further Houthi attacks

The statement came during Al-Alimi's meeting with French Ambassador to Yemen Catherine Corm-Kammoun in the southern port city of Aden, where they discussed recent developments in the region, particularly the ongoing Houthi attacks on international shipping lanes, according to the state-run Saba News Agency.

Al-Alimi underscored the need for the international community to adopt "punitive measures against the Houthi militias", stressing that "the only way to end terrorist threats is through supporting the Yemeni government, a United Nations member, in restoring state institutions and asserting authority over all its territories".

He also emphasized Yemen's role as a strategic partner in securing maritime traffic and upholding international peace and security.

Yemenis clean debris in front of their shops after US airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, March 16, 2025. (PHOTO / AP)

The Houthis now control most of the northern areas, including Sanaa and the strategic Red Sea port of Hodeidah. The internationally recognized Yemeni government, led by the Presidential Leadership Council since April 2022, mainly controls the southern and eastern regions, with Aden serving as the temporary capital.

READ MORE: Death toll from US overnight airstrikes on Yemen rises to 31

The US military on Saturday evening launched a new wave of airstrikes on Houthi sites in northern Yemen, killing 53 people, including five children and two women.

It came as Trump vowed to continue air attacks until the Houthis stopped attacking international shipping lines and ships. He also warned the Houthis that if they do not stop their attacks "starting today ... hell will rain down upon you like nothing you have ever seen before".

Following the US attacks, Houthi forces announced Monday they had targeted the USS Harry Truman in the northern Red Sea for the second time within 24 hours, claiming the assault involved multiple ballistic and cruise missiles, along with drones, in an engagement lasting several hours.

The US Navy has not yet issued a statement confirming or denying the alleged attack on its aircraft carrier.

The renewed conflict comes after Israel halted the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza on March 2, coinciding with the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.

READ MORE: Yemen's Houthis say resuming attacks on Israeli ships

On March 11, the Houthi group announced that it would resume launching attacks against any Israeli ship in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab al-Mandab Strait until the crossings of the Gaza Strip are reopened and aid allowed in.

From November 2023 to Jan 19, the Houthi group launched dozens of drone and rocket attacks against Israel-linked ships and Israeli cities to show solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The attacks later expanded to include US and British ships after the US-British navy coalition started to intervene, launching air raids and missile strikes against Houthi targets to deter the group.