Last year, U.S. airstrikes targeting Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen killed more than 150 civilians, according to a Pentagon review of the attacks. This is reported by infohub.kz.
The unclassified assessment by the U.S. Department of Defense was sent to Congress. The document was obtained by the Associated Press. A Pentagon official said the full report will be submitted in the coming months, but no additional details are available at this time.
The review focused on three airstrikes in April 2025, launched during the U.S. campaign against the Houthis. At that time, the Houthis were attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route leading to the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean, as well as threatening Israel.
According to the report, the strikes targeted hostile forces in or near the rebel-held capital of Sanaa and the Ras Isa port. In total, 153 civilians were killed and 243 were injured. The deadliest strike was on the port, killing 80 people and injuring 171 others. The explosions sent massive fireballs into the sky and set tanker trucks ablaze. The Houthis' al-Masirah TV channel aired graphic footage showing corpses at the port.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, stated at the time that the "strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen." According to them, the action was aimed at eliminating a fuel source for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and depriving them of illegal revenue that funds their terrorist activities in the region.
The review determined that the three strikes "more likely than not" resulted in civilian harm. This conclusion was based on U.S. intelligence, imagery, and open-source reporting.
Civilian casualties from U.S. military operations have raised concerns among lawmakers in Congress. In the opening days of this year's war, a U.S. missile struck an Iranian primary school, killing up to 168 people. Additionally, as AP reported, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has slashed the size of an office focused on reducing civilian harm.
The Pentagon's assessment comes as the Houthis are carrying out a growing number of strikes against Yemeni government forces and oil facilities in neighboring Saudi Arabia, threatening shipping in the Red Sea. Experts fear that renewed violence could reignite Yemen's civil war and open a new front in the Middle East conflict.