US Admits Hundreds of Civilian Casualties in Yemen Strikes
Pentagon data submitted to Congress reveals that at least 153 civilians were killed and 243 wounded in US strikes in Yemen. The military is investigating 15 additional incidents. The report excludes casualties from operations in Iran.
The Pentagon has revealed that at least 153 civilians were killed in US military strikes in Yemen, with at least 243 others wounded. Many other incidents remain under investigation. The report emphasized that no civilians were killed in strikes on nuclear facilities, though the assessment excludes American operations in Iran.
According to an internal Department of Defense assessment submitted to Congress on Tuesday, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, hundreds of civilians were killed or wounded during US bombing campaigns in Yemen last year. This marks the first official admission by the Donald Trump administration regarding the scale of civilian casualties during the campaign against the Houthis.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) determined that three specific strikes in April 2025 resulted in 153 civilian deaths and 243 injuries. CENTCOM continues to investigate 15 additional incidents from the campaign that may have involved further civilian casualties.
The American strikes began in the spring of 2025 after President Donald Trump ordered attacks on Houthi leadership and military infrastructure to halt assaults on commercial vessels in the Red Sea amid their involvement in the war-in-Gaza. The 53-day campaign involved strikes on over 1,000 Houthi targets.
While the strikes extensively damaged Houthi capabilities, the threat to the region persists. Yesterday, the Houthis attacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea after announcing a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, resulting in at least six deaths.
The 12-page unclassified assessment, presented by senior Pentagon official Colby Jenkins to Congressional defense committees, covers US military activity worldwide throughout 2025. However, it excludes fighting against Iran that has been ongoing since late February. Notably, it does not include the US strike on an elementary school in the Minab area of Iran, which killed over 100 children. The Pentagon assessment further states that strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, as part of Operation Midnight Hammer, caused no civilian casualties.
