Latest news with #OperationRoughRider
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump's Yemen bombings killed nearly as many civilians as in 23 previous years of US attacks, analysis shows
The US bombing campaign of Yemen under Donald Trump led to the deaths of almost as many civilians in two months as in the previous 23 years of US attacks on Islamists and militants in the country. An analysis of Operation Rough Rider by monitoring group Airwars has concluded that 224 civilians had been killed between March and the end of the campaign in May, compared to 258 between 2002 and 2024. Airwars argues that the higher fatality rate after 33 strikes signals a change in policy on the part of the US and is a potential sign for what could happen in Iran, if Trump decides to join the Israeli bombing campaign against the country. 'This campaign sets the tone for Trump at war, and for what allies can do. With the US poised for escalation, we have to understand the Yemen campaign to understand what the future holds,' said Emily Tripp, the director of Airwars. Deliberately targeting civilians in a manner that is considered not proportional to any military advantage gained is considered a war crime according to the Geneva conventions, though the doctrine has been stretched in recent conflicts, most notably Israel's assault on Gaza, where there have been individual incidents of over 100 civilians killed. In the past, the US president has set a limit on the maximum number of civilian casualties that would be tolerated without special approval being granted, according to The War Lawyers, a book by academic Craig Jones of Newcastle University. Operation Rough Rider, a bombing campaign against the Houthi rebels, began in March in an effort to stop attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, in the aftermath of multiple attacks conducted under the previous president. It cost an estimated $1bn (£740m) in its first month of operation. Trump described the Biden campaign as 'pathetically weak', meanwhile the text messages between senior US officials on the Signal app discussing the beginning of the bombing were accidentally shared with a journalist. The two most deadly attacks recorded by Airwars were in April. The monitor concluded that at least 84 civilians were killed on 17 April when the US bombed Ras Isa Port near Al Hodeida in the evening, saying it was targeting oil facilities. Airwars reaches its casualty count by examining reports of each incident by relevant authorities and in the media – as well as death notices put up on Facebook and other social media by relatives of the deceased. Two young boys, Fadel Fawwaz Ali al-Musq and Mohammad Ali Saleh Asaad al-Musq, were killed together after a family member, a driver, had brought them to the port while he was working, according to Facebook postings. A 48-year-old driver, Nabil Yahya, was reported as killed by his family when the fuel tanker he was driving burst into flames after the airstrike. 'That truck was all he had,' said his younger brother, Sultan Yahya in a Guardian report last month. A day after the incident the local branch of the Red Crescent Society posted that the air strikes occurred in two waves. After the first wave of bombing, the plane remained 'still flying overhead' and struck again after first responders arrived. At the time, the US Centcom military command said that US forces had taken action 'to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists' and that the strike 'was not intended to harm the people of Yemen'. The second most deadly attack recorded by Airwars occurred on 28 April 2025. It counted that 68 civilians housed in a remand detention centre at Saada were killed and at least 47 injured by alleged US airstrikes on the morning. The centre primarily held migrants coming from African countries and was believed to be holding 115 people at the time of the strike. Multiple bodies were pictured on television and graphic photographs after the attack. In response to investigations about the incident, Centcom said in early May that it is 'aware of the claims of civilian casualties' and is assessing them, but there has been no apparent update from the US military since. The US has been attacking targets in Yemen since 2002, when a targeted drone strike killed six members of al-Qaeda, and the first time civilians were recorded killed was in 2009, when 49 were reported killed following a cruise missile attack that had been aimed at an al-Qaeda camp. Operation Rough Rider came to an end in May, when the US and the Houthis reached agreement, after what the US said was 1,000 strikes at Houthi targets. The Yemeni rebels, who are anti-Israel and aligned with Iran, said they would stop targeting merchant shipping in return for an end to US bombing. Earlier this week, the Houthis fired a handful of ballistic missiles at Israel in support of Iran. One struck the West Bank, wounding five Palestinians.
Middle East Eye
3 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
'Unprecedented' civilian death toll in Yemen from US air strikes in 2025
US air strikes on Yemen have led to an "unprecedented" death toll in the country, according to a new report by a monitoring group. Airwars analysed hundreds of open source civilian harm claims and concluded that US President Donald Trump's bombardment of Yemen has been more deadly than any of his predecessors'. The report suggests Trump's military campaign has killed almost as many civilians in 52 days as in the previous 23 years of US military action against Yemen. Trump, who prior to his election had promised an end to US involvement in Middle Eastern wars, has been backing Israeli attacks against Iran in recent days and ordered attacks against Yemen's Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis. Between the first recorded US strike in Yemen in 2002 until the beginning of Trump's Operation Rough Rider campaign in March 2025, Airwars tracked at least 258 civilians allegedly killed by US actions. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters In just two months of bombing this year, which ended with a ceasefire in May, Airwars documented at least 224 civilians in Yemen killed by American air strikes. Although the US claimed it was only trying to undermine the Houthis' military capabilities, Airwars said the high civilian casualty rate was increasingly becoming the norm in conflicts in the region. In just one attack on 17 April the US struck Ras Isa Port on the Red Sea, allegedly killing at least 84 civilians, including first responders from the Yemen Red Crescent Society and Civil Defence of Yemen. What did Houthis achieve in 18 months of attacks on the Red Sea? Read More » At least three children were amongst those killed. Airwars executive director Emily Tripp told Middle East Eye it was crucial not to lose sight of the civilian victims of escalating warfare at a time of geopolitical strife. "The news agenda is generally stacked against the stories of civilians in war - but how and where civilians were killed in Yemen is so important to understand, especially as the US is poised to intervene across the region," she said. "The US is one of the most powerful militaries in the world - it sets the tone and the norms of war. If we don't pay attention to this deadly campaign, how can we hold our governments to account in the face of future escalation?" Trump announced in May that in exchange for the US ceasing air strikes on Yemen, the Ansar Allah administration had agreed to stop attacking vessels travelling in the Red Sea, which it said it was doing in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. The Yemeni group had targeted what it said were Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea since November 2023, and said that despite the ceasefire, attacks on Israeli ships and territory would continue. Over the weekend the Houthis launched strikes on Israel in apparently solidarity with Iran, who also struck targets across Israel. Wes Bryant, a US Special Operations veteran, told Airwars it was unlikely the administration had undertaken sufficient civilian harm mitigation measures during the Yemen campaign. '[For] each and every strike, there should be an equally weighted effort in civilian harm mitigation fitting with all of the doctrine and standards that we already have in place in the targeting process - from planning characterisation of the civilian environment before execution, to execution of the actual strike while in process,' said Bryant, who is also the former branch chief of civilian harm assessments at the Pentagon. 'I'd say [it is] a near impossibility to do the level of civilian harm mitigation we've seen in other campaigns with this high intensity of a strike campaign in such densely populated urban areas with, again, no actual partner forces on the ground and very limited source intelligence on the ground.' The US also backed an air campaign launched by Saudi Arabia in 2015 against the Houthis, in support of the internationally recognised government, that killed tens of thousands of civilians. The war has largely ceased since a truce and prisoner exchanges in 2022.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US fighter jets used cheap laser-guided rockets for nearly half the drone kills during Operation Rough Rider
Laser-guided rockets were responsible for 40% of recent Houthi drone kills, a top US commander said. Gen. Michael Kurilla told lawmakers Tuesday that F-16 and F-15 fighter jets fired the APKWS rockets. Military leaders have stressed the importance of making air defense cheaper compared to the threat. US fighter jets used laser-guided rockets to destroy nearly half the drones that were shot down during the most recent big operation against the Iran-backed Houthis, a top commander told lawmakers on Tuesday. Gen. Michael Kurilla, who oversees Middle East operations at US Central Command, said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing that Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System rockets fired by American F-16s or F-15s were responsible for about 40% of Houthi drone kills during Operation Rough Rider, the military's seven-week bombing campaign against the rebels. Kurilla was responding to questions about the implications of using expensive aircraft and munitions to fight non-state actors like the Houthis and whether the proliferation of hostile drones had led to more interest in cheaper defenses. "We absolutely need to be putting more work into directed energy — high-powered microwave," Kurilla said. He described the heavy use of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System as one of the "innovations" to emerge from Operation Rough Rider. "That's a $25,000 munition going against a roughly $50,000 or $100,000 drone — that is, an Iranian-provided drone to the Houthis," he added. The AGR-Falco Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, or APKWS, is an unguided Hydra 70 2.75-inch rocket fitted with laser guidance kits that turn it into a precision weapon. Made by British aerospace company BAE Systems, the slim munition can fly with a 10-pound warhead at speeds of 1,000 meters per second. One APKWS rocket is a fraction of the cost of an air-to-air missile that could otherwise be used to take down a drone. US officials have said an AIM-9, for instance, costs around $500,000; the newer AIM-120 is around $1 million. Military leaders like Kurilla have stressed the importance of bringing the cost of air defense to parity with the price tag of the threat, though this is not always possible. US warships operating in and around the Red Sea have been forced to fire expensive surface-to-air missiles to intercept incoming Houthi missiles and drones. SM-2 interceptors, which are on the lower end of the Navy's missile defense capabilities, can still cost upward of $2 million. Others are much more expensive, and the Red Sea fight has seen a high tempo of operations, raising concerns about future stockpiles. Kurilla said during written testimony that US air and naval forces in the Middle East have destroyed "hundreds" of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis into international shipping lanes and at Israel since October 2023. The Trump administration reached a cease-fire with the Houthis in early May, ending Operation Rough Rider. During the campaign, the US military bombed over 1,000 targets in Yemen. However, the rebels continue to fire missiles at Israel, which has retaliated with several rounds of airstrikes. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
US fighter jets used cheap laser-guided rockets for nearly half the drone kills during Operation Rough Rider
US fighter jets used laser-guided rockets to destroy nearly half the drones that were shot down during the most recent big operation against the Iran-backed Houthis, a top commander told lawmakers on Tuesday. Gen. Michael Kurilla, who oversees Middle East operations at US Central Command, said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing that Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System rockets fired by American F-16s or F-15s were responsible for about 40% of Houthi drone kills during Operation Rough Rider, the military's seven-week bombing campaign against the rebels. Kurilla was responding to questions about the implications of using expensive aircraft and munitions to fight non-state actors like the Houthis and whether the proliferation of hostile drones had led to more interest in cheaper defenses. "We absolutely need to be putting more work into directed energy — high-powered microwave," Kurilla said. He described the heavy use of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System as one of the "innovations" to emerge from Operation Rough Rider. "That's a $25,000 munition going against a roughly $50,000 or $100,000 drone — that is, an Iranian-provided drone to the Houthis," he added. The AGR-Falco Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, or APKWS, is an unguided Hydra 70 2.75-inch rocket fitted with laser guidance kits that turn it into a precision weapon. Made by British aerospace company BAE Systems, the slim munition can fly with a 10-pound warhead at speeds of 1,000 meters per second. One APKWS rocket is a fraction of the cost of an air-to-air missile that could otherwise be used to take down a drone. US officials have said an AIM-9, for instance, costs around $500,000; the newer AIM-120 is around $1 million. Please help BI improve our Business, Tech, and Innovation coverage by sharing a bit about your role — it will help us tailor content that matters most to people like you. What is your job title? (1 of 2) Entry level position Project manager Management Senior management Executive management Student Self-employed Retired Other Continue By providing this information, you agree that Business Insider may use this data to improve your site experience and for targeted advertising. By continuing you agree that you accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Military leaders like Kurilla have stressed the importance of bringing the cost of air defense to parity with the price tag of the threat, though this is not always possible. US warships operating in and around the Red Sea have been forced to fire expensive surface-to-air missiles to intercept incoming Houthi missiles and drones. SM-2 interceptors, which are on the lower end of the Navy's missile defense capabilities, can still cost upward of $2 million. Others are much more expensive, and the Red Sea fight has seen a high tempo of operations, raising concerns about future stockpiles. Kurilla said during written testimony that US air and naval forces in the Middle East have destroyed "hundreds" of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis into international shipping lanes and at Israel since October 2023. The Trump administration reached a cease-fire with the Houthis in early May, ending Operation Rough Rider. During the campaign, the US military bombed over 1,000 targets in Yemen. However, the rebels continue to fire missiles at Israel, which has retaliated with several rounds of airstrikes.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
USS Harry S. Truman returns to US after months of battling Houthis
The aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman, the flagship of the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, returned this past weekend to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, after an eventful 251-day deployment that saw the vessel fire over 1.1. million pounds of ordnance and deliver the largest carrier-launched airstrike in history. The Truman's arrival in its home port Sunday followed months of almost ceaseless action in the Middle East against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels as part of Operation Rough Rider, launched by U.S. Central Command on March 15. During the operation, which targeted Houthi infrastructure such as command centers, training camps and weapons manufacturing sites, the Truman saw continuous action for over 50 days, conducting precision airstrikes and launching Tomahawk missiles while under constant fire from Houthi militants seeking to hamstring global shipping. The Truman launched 11,000 sorties and expended over 1.1 million pounds of ordnance during its deployment, and on Feb. 1 launched the largest-ever airstrike against Islamic State terrorists in Somalia. Launched from the Truman, 27 F/A-18 Super Hornets of Carrier Air Wing 1 struck ISIS militants based in cave complexes, dropping 124,000 pounds of ordnance within less than two minutes and killing 14 terrorists, including ISIS recruiter Ahmed Maeleninine. During its grueling deployment, which was extended numerous times, the Truman underwent several hardships, including a collision with a civilian merchant vessel in the Mediterranean in February, an abrupt change in command and the loss of three F/A-18 fighter jets. 'These warrior Sailors demonstrated superb grit for more than eight months. Even in the face of significant challenges, they persevered, never giving up when their nation needed them,' said Capt. Chris 'Chowdah' Hill, commanding officer of the Truman, in a release. 'It's been an honor to serve alongside such dedicated professionals and to take them home to their families.' Other vessels in the strike group accompanying the Truman included the Ticonderoga-class cruiser Gettysburg and two Arleigh-Burke class destroyers, the Jason Dunham and the Stout. Altogether, the vessels sailed over 240,000 nautical miles during the lengthy deployment.
