The United States says the deadly explosion in Yemen was caused by a Houthi missile

A spokesman for the US Central Command said on Thursday that a deadly explosion on Sunday near the UNESCO World Heritage site in the capital of Yemen was caused by a Houthi missile, not an American air strike.

The Houthi -led government, the Houthi government, said that an American air strike hit a dense neighborhood in SANA, the Yemeni capital, killing 12 people and wounding 30 others. The explosion hit an area adjacent to the old city of Sana, a UNESCO World Heritage website Fill in old towers.

Dave Estborn, a spokesman for the US Central Command, who supervises operations in the Middle East, said in a statement that although the damages and losses described by local health officials “may happen”, it was not the result of an American attack. He added that the United States conducted military operations on SANA that night, as the closest American blow was more than three miles away.

Mr. Estborn said that the Pentagon’s evaluation was that the damage caused by the “Houthi Air Defense missile” was partially based on the review of “local reports, including videos documenting Arabic writing on the missile fragments in the market.” The Pentagon did not submit these videos or evidence of its claims in his statements.

The initial review by the New York Times of local reports and open source materials in Yemen found a video clip that displays a missile part with the Arabic writing published on social media, yet it was from a different location from the market in the old city of SANA.

Muhammad al -Bakhit, a member of the Houthi Political Bureau, said in an interview on the phone that the American denial was an attempt to adapt the Houthis. He reiterated that the group believed that the United States targeted the neighborhood on Sunday, “as it was previously targeting ports, cemeteries and citizens’ homes, which led to the death of hundreds.”

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has implemented Bombing On the areas of Yemen -controlled Yemen, an Iranian -backed militia governs a large part of the north in the country with an iron fist. The militia launches missiles and drones in Israel and attack ships in the near Red Sea, in a campaign that its leaders say are solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

When he was asked earlier this week about the Sunday strike, the US Department of Defense did not comment on the Houthi claims. Instead, he said in a statement that the United States was targeting “Iranian -backed Houthi sites every day and night in Yemen” with the intention of restoring freedom of movement and deterring the Houthis from more attacks.

Details of the strikes were difficult to verify journalists on the ground. Houthi officials appointed journalists and citizens to document the air strikes – including the explosion site on Sunday – warning that this information can be exploited by foreign enemies. In response to a question about these restrictions, Mr. Al -Bakhit said, “It is common for the target area to be encircled to facilitate rescue operations and prevent civilians from gathering, in the event of renewable strikes or targeting paramedics.”

Almost a decade ago, Yemen was in war. After the Houthis, an easy tribal militia, it took over the Yemeni capital, and the country was struck by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia equipped with it. American bombs In an attempt to defeat them.

This alliance expected Swift’s victory. Instead, hundreds of thousands of people died due to fighting, hunger and disease. Since the coalition has declined several years ago, partly because of International pressureThe Houthis deepened their grip on power, and they developed into an actual government in northern Yemen.

Houthis Their last attacks began In late 2023, after Hamas stormed southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking hundreds of captives in Gaza. Israel responded through the bombing of the region, killing more than 50,000 people, according to the health authorities of Ghazan, whose personalities do not distinguish between fighters and civilians.

The Houthis described their attacks on ships as an attempt to pressure Israel and outside the nations to increase the free flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, where he struggled with more than two million Palestinians to obtain food and water.

Since the Houthi lands abandon a vital waterway, the ships should pass to reach the Suez Canal, the global trade attacks have been disrupted, prompting the container ships to take a longer road around the southern end of Africa. The Houthis say they attack ships with Israeli or American relations, although many targeted ships had no clear connection to any of the countries.

The United States and Britain The bombing started Houthi was targeting last year, saying that they were trying to stop attacks on shipping and Israel.

The militia shortly stopped firing the missiles at Israel during Two months Between Israel and enthusiasm this year. But after the truce ended in mid -March, Israel renewed its attack in Gaza and the Houthis resumed ballistic missiles for fire in Israeli territory.

The Trump administration started its own campaign of air strikes in March.

The American strikes that struck a vital port in the Hodada area this month At least 74 people were killedHealth officials said under the government led by Houthi.

The US Central Command said it targeted the port because fuel shipments are still flowing in challenging US sanctions, allowing money to flow to the Houthi treasures. She has not provided her own evaluation of the number of people who were killed in the bombing.

Secretary -General Antonio Guterres from the United Nations CrossEd is “great concern” about these strikes, saying in a statement that at least five human workers were said to be among the injured and urge all parties in the struggle to respect international law and protect civil infrastructure.

So far, the American campaign has not deterred the Houthis, who continued to announce attacks on Israel and ships. Yemeni scientists who study the group warn that American air strikes will simply be Play the militia agenda.

Arijita Lagka and ARIC TOLER The reports contributed.