Screengrab from the footage shared by U.S. President Donald Trump. (U.S. Army)
An official from the Sanaa-based government led by the Houthis (Ansar Allah) revealed on April 5 that the strike United States President Donlad Trump recently shared footage of targeted a civilian tribal gathering, not fighters.
“The video posted by the criminal Trump was nothing more than an Eid visit to al-Hodeidah,” the unnamed official told the official Saba News Agency, referring to the widely-celebrated Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr which was between March 30 and April 2 this year.
“Those present at the visit had no connection to the operations of the armed forces implementing the maritime ban, as the criminal Trump claimed,” he added.
The U.S. military resumed strikes against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen on March 15 on orders from President Donald Trump, who said that the large-scale operation was launched in response to the group’s renewed attacks on Israel-affiliated shipping in the Red Sea.
Trump shared footage of the strike in question to his Truth Social network on April 4 and claimed that the target was a gathering of Houthi fighters.
“These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack. Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis!
They will never sink our ships again!,” he wrote.
More than 70 people gathered in a loose oval along a road can be seen in the footage being hit by a large blast. It is still unclear how many were killed.
“This heinous American crime, which left dozens of martyrs and wounded, reflects the extent of American bankruptcy and failure in its aggression against Yemen, and that it is an extension of the crime of genocide committed by the Israeli-American aggression in Gaza,” the source added in his statement to Saba, stressing that the strike “will not be forgotten, and that the Yemeni armed forces, which stood up for the people of Gaza, will not let the blood of the Yemeni people go in vain.”
Yemeni activists had noted that the footage released by Trump resembled a typical tribal gathering, usually held for celebrations. This tradition is not even limited to the Houthis, or the areas under their control. Such gatherings are organized by most tribes across Yemen.
Click to see full-size image.
Click to see full-size image.
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Since the start of the U.S. large-scale operation in Yemen, at least 69 people, including commanders of the Houthis and civilians, have been reportedly killed. It is unclear if the number includes those killed in the strike announced recently by Trump.
The operation inflicted some serious losses on the Houthis. However, it has so far failed to deter the group or to degrade its military capabilities.
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