SANAA - The death toll from fresh US airstrikes on the western outskirts of Yemen's capital Sanaa has risen to six, with 13 others injured, Houthi-run health authorities said in an updated statement on Sunday.
The strikes targeted a ceramic factory in the Bani Matar district, said residents and the health authorities. The roar of fighter jets was reportedly heard across Sanaa before and after the airstrikes.
Separately, US warplanes carried out two additional strikes in the northern provinces of Marib and Al-Jawf, according to Houthi-run al-Masirah TV. It noted that the latest air raids have brought the total number of US airstrikes across northern Yemen throughout the day to 25.
Hours earlier, the Houthi group claimed responsibility for three airstrikes on Israeli targets, including the Sdot Micha military base and the Ben Gurion airport in central Israel, as well as an unspecified "vital target" in the Ashkelon area, southern Israel.
Earlier in the day, Israel's military said that a missile launched from Yemen was "likely intercepted" by its air defense systems before entering Israeli airspace.
Tensions have escalated between the Houthi group and the United States, as well as its ally Israel, in recent weeks, particularly since the US military resumed airstrikes on March 15 against Houthi targets to deter the group from attacking Israeli and US interests in the region.
However, the US strikes have failed to deter the militia. In a recent development, the Houthi group issued on Saturday a warning against any potential US-led ground operations in Yemen, vowing to respond with "hell."
The threats come amid circulating reports in local Yemeni media suggesting that the United States may be preparing to support the Yemeni government forces in a ground campaign to retake Sanaa and other northern areas currently under Houthi control.
The Houthis, who control vast areas of northern Yemen, have been attacking Israeli targets since November 2023 to show solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The Yemen-based militia claims that it will stop operations if Israel ends the ongoing war in Gaza and allows essential food and medicine into the strip.
Also on Sunday, Yemen's Houthi group announced that it had shot down another US MQ-9 drone, the 19th it has downed since November 2023.
"A US MQ-9 drone was shot down while carrying out hostile missions in the airspace of Hajjah province" in northwestern Yemen, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.
Sarea added that the drone was downed by a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile, stressing "the ongoing US aggression" has not crippled the group's military capabilities.
The statement affirmed the group's support for the Palestinian people, saying its operations will continue "until the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip stops and the siege on it is lifted."
The United States resumed its air campaign against Houthi forces on March 15, stating that its strikes were aimed at deterring the group from launching attacks against Israeli and US naval assets in the Red Sea.
The Houthis, who control vast areas of northern Yemen, have been attacking Israeli targets since November 2023 to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
