US says blast near Yemen UNESCO world heritage site caused by Houthi missile

The U.S. military said a missile explosion that killed at least a dozen people near a UNESCO site in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, was caused by a Houthi-fired weapon, not an American airstrike, countering local claims and intensifying scrutiny over the rising civilian toll in the conflict.

The U.S. military said Thursday that a deadly explosion near a UNESCO World Heritage site in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, was the result of a Houthi missile, not an American airstrike.

Houthi officials had claimed that a U.S. strike killed a dozen people in the residential area of Sanaa’s Old City on Sunday. The U.S. Central Command, however, said its nearest strike that night was over 5 kilometers (3 miles) away, and that the explosion was likely caused by a Houthi air defense missile. This conclusion was based on local reports and videos showing Arabic inscriptions on missile fragments at the scene, according to a CENTCOM spokesperson.

The U.S. recently intensified its military campaign in Yemen under President Donald Trump, targeting the Iran-aligned Houthis in response to attacks on Red Sea shipping. The military says its strikes aim to weaken the Houthis’ military and financial operations.

While the U.S. denied involvement in the Sanaa blast, rights groups have voiced concern over civilian casualties from ongoing strikes. According to Yemen’s Houthi-run health ministry, dozens have been killed in recent weeks, including 74 in a strike on an oil terminal—the deadliest attack in Yemen under the Trump administration so far.

Meanwhile, three U.S. Democratic senators, including Chris Van Hollen, called for an investigation into civilian deaths and urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide greater transparency.

The Houthis, who control large areas of Yemen, have launched attacks on Red Sea shipping since November 2023, saying they are targeting vessels with links to Israel in response to the war in Gaza.

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