'Most scared I've been': US strikes sow panic in Yemeni capital Sanaa
AFP , Sunday 16 Mar 2025
Yemenis on Sunday recounted their panic and terror as the first US attacks under President Donald Trump hit Sanaa, killing dozens and wounding more than 100.
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A resident described a "horrific explosion" that shook the capital late Saturday during suhoor, the night-time meal in Ramadan.
"The house shook, the windows shattered, and my family and I were terrified," father-of-two Ahmed, who did not want to give his full name, told AFP.
"I've been living in Sanaa for 10 years, hearing shelling throughout the war. By God, I've never experienced anything like this before."
The Houthi rebels, who control much of the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country, have been fighting a Saudi-led coalition since 2015.
The US strikes came after Yemen's Houthi group warned on Tuesday they were "resuming the ban on the passage of all Israeli ships" on the vital Red Sea shipping lane after Israel failed to meet the four-day deadline the group set on Friday to lift its blockade on humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza.
"This is the most scared I've been since the beginning of the war," said Malik, 43, who has three children.
"Yesterday's shelling in Al-Jiraf (northern Sanaa) was absolutely terrifying: six strikes in a row.
"My children were screaming and crying in my arms. It's the first time I've ever said the Shahada," he said, referring to the prayer that is recited before death.
"I was waiting for one of these missiles to hit our house."
Victims are 'always civilians'
Attacks on Sanaa, Saada in northwest Yemen, and other areas killed 31 and wounded 101, according to the Houthi health ministry.
Footage from the group's Al Masirah TV showed children and a woman among those being treated in a hospital emergency room, including a dazed girl with blackened legs wrapped in bandages.
Screengrab from footage courtesy Al Masirah TV
Late on Saturday, a plume of white smoke had risen over Sanaa after explosions rocked the northern district of the capital.
Mohammad Albasha, a US-based consultant, said the area targeted in Sanaa was home to senior Houthi leaders and considered their stronghold in the capital.
"This is the point of no return, and from now on, it's gloves off between the Houthis and CENTCOM," he said, referring to the regional US military command.
Since October 2023, Houthi rebels have attacked Israel and ships linked to Tel Aviv to pressure Israel to end its war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 48,000 Palestinians. The attacks triggered reprisals from US and British warplanes, with regular strikes on Yemen since the war began.
Amal, 29, who lives with her mother in Sanaa, said Saturday's attacks were "terrifying... windows were shattered and the walls of the house shook".
But she added: "We've witnessed hundreds of raids, most of them in the same areas.
"Several military operations against the Houthis have been announced, but they've only added more casualties, most of them civilians.
"The homes and locations of the leaders are well-known, but the victims are always civilians."
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
Yemen's Houthi leader calls for 'million-strong' rally after deadly US strikes
AFP , Sunday 16 Mar 2025
The leader of Yemen's Houthi rebels on Sunday called for a "million-strong" march of defiance after deadly US strikes hit the capital, Sanaa, and other areas.
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Houthi urged major rallies on Monday, the anniversary of a celebrated military victory by the Prophet Mohammed in the seventh century.
"I call on our dear people to go out tomorrow on the anniversary of the Battle of Badr in a million-strong march in Sanaa and the rest of the governorates," Abdulmalik al-Houthi said in a televised address.
Houthis vowed to target American cargo ships in the Red Sea after deadly US attacks struck the country.
The first US strikes on Yemen under President Donald Trump killed 31 people and wounded more than 100, according to the Houthi health ministry spokesperson Anis al-Asbahi .
They followed Houthi threats to renew attacks on Israeli shipping in the Red Sea following a pause since January, when the Gaza war ceasefire began.
"America will now be subject to the embargo as long as it continues its aggression," al-Houthi said.
"We will confront escalation with escalation, and we will respond to the American enemy by targeting its aircraft carrier and warships and banning its ships," he added.
"If the American aggression against our country continues, we will move to additional escalatory options."
Houthi attacks on cargo vessels during the Gaza war have disrupted the vital Red Sea route, which normally carries about 12 percent of world shipping traffic.
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