Yemen's Houthi rebels reported the first civilian death this weekend since the start of US and British airstrikes targeting the Iran-backed insurgents, whose attacks target maritime traffic off Yemen.
American-British bombings this weekend in Yemen left one civilian dead and eight injured, the Houthi rebels' press agency announced on Sunday evening, the day after a new series of strikes in the country.
“The American-British aggression on the Maqbana district in the Taiz governorate resulted in the death of one citizen and the injury of six others
,” while two citizens were injured in the capital Sanaa, the Saba agency reported in citing a statement from the rebel-controlled Ministry of Public Health.
The United States and the United Kingdom said on Saturday they had targeted 18 Houthi targets in eight separate sites in Yemen in an operation supported by eight other countries: Canada, Australia, Bahrain, Denmark, the Netherlands and the New Zealand.
“Protect” maritime traffic
The Houthis, who control large swaths of the territory, have been attacking ships off the coast of Yemen since November that they consider linked to Israel, saying they are acting in
“solidarity”
with the Palestinians in the context of the war in Gaza since October 7. last Israel to the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
Washington, Israel's first ally, set up a multinational coalition in December to
“protect”
maritime traffic in these strategic waters.
Since mid-January, American forces, sometimes with the British ally, have also carried out several strikes on Yemeni territory.
One of these operations in February left 17 rebels dead, according to the Houthis, who are now also targeting British and American ships.
In recent days, the Houthis have notably fired a missile against the Rubymar, a British ship which is losing fuel in the Gulf of Aden.