ADEN, Yemen, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Houthi group claimed on Monday that it had launched attacks against a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Red Sea and an Israeli target, following deadly U.S. airstrikes that reportedly killed dozens in northern Yemen's Saada province, a stronghold of the group.
In a televised speech broadcast on the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said, "In response to the massacres committed by the American aggression, we targeted the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and its escorting warships in the Red Sea" for several hours, using "cruise and ballistic missiles and drones."
Sarea claimed that the U.S. aircraft carrier "has been forced to retreat and has headed to the far north of the Red Sea," vowing that such operations would continue "until the aggression against Yemen stops."
The group also claimed to have "bombed a vital Israeli target in the Ashkelon area with a Jaffa drone."
The Houthi claims followed reports of deadly U.S. airstrikes on a detention center holding migrants in Yemen's Saada, which, according to the Houthi-run health authorities, killed 60 people and injured 65 others. In its earlier report, al-Masirah TV put the death toll from the latest U.S. airstrikes in Saada at 68 and injuries at 47, confirming that all the victims are illegal African migrants.
Emergency services reportedly faced difficulties due to the massive destruction. The Houthi-run interior authorities said the detention center held 115 migrants, all of African nationalities, and was supervised by "the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Red Cross." However, the IOM denied in a statement its operation at the facility but said it is "closely monitoring the situation."
Following the deadly strikes, the Houthis accused the American administration of committing a "heinous crime against African migrants." According to the IOM, Yemen remains a transit country for thousands of migrants traveling between the Horn of Africa and Saudi Arabia despite years of civil war in the country.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said on Monday that Guterres is deeply concerned over reports of the bloody strikes on the detention center.
"Strikes pose a growing risk to the civilian population in Yemen," he said, calling on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians.
The strikes in Saada came hours after at least eight people were reportedly killed on Sunday night in U.S. airstrikes on Yemen's Houthi-held capital, Sanaa. According to the Houthi-run health authorities, dozens more were also wounded as fighter jets bombed the Bani Al-Harith district in northern Sanaa.
The U.S. military announced on Sunday that it had hit more than 800 Houthi targets in Yemen since mid-March, killing hundreds of Houthi fighters, including senior leaders.
In a statement, U.S. Central Command asserted that the strikes have "degraded the pace and effectiveness" of Houthi attacks, with ballistic missile launches dropping 69 percent and attacks from one-way drones down 55 percent.
Tensions between the Houthi group and the U.S. military have sharply escalated since Washington resumed airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen on March 15. The strikes were intended to deter the Houthis from targeting Israel and international shipping in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.
Despite the U.S. military campaign, the Houthis, which control Sanaa and vast areas of northern Yemen, have continued to attack both U.S. vessels and Israeli targets, in a move to support Palestinians amid the ongoing war with Israel in the Gaza Strip. Enditem
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