Hundreds of civilians were reportedly killed or wounded in three U.S. airstrikes in Yemen last year, while the Pentagon has yet to publicly disclose the casualty figures or provide Congress with a full accounting of the incidents, NBC News reports.

The strikes were carried out in April 2025 as part of Operation Rough Rider, the 53-day U.S. military campaign launched against the Iranian-backed Houthis. Pentagon officials had previously maintained that no civilian casualties were assessed during the campaign.

However, a Pentagon letter sent to Sen. Elizabeth Warren said three strikes “more likely than not resulted in civilian casualties” and required further investigation. The attacks included an April 17 strike on the Ras Isa port in Hodeida, an April 28 strike on a site identified by the Pentagon as the “Ayn Wadi Barracks Warehouses,” and an April 6 strike on a private residence.

Two people familiar with the strikes said approximately 150 civilians were likely killed in the first two attacks and roughly 200 others were wounded. The number of casualties from the strike on the private residence remains unclear.

CENTCOM launched a separate command-directed investigation into the April 28 strike to determine whether any policies were violated or whether there was misconduct by U.S. forces.

The 2027 National Defense Authorization Act requires the Pentagon to release unredacted investigations and supporting documents related to the three strikes. Congress may withhold certain funding, including travel funds for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, if the Pentagon fails to comply.

A Pentagon official said the department had nothing to announce at this time and would submit its annual report on casualties resulting from U.S. military operations during the 2025 calendar year in the coming months.

Operation Rough Rider included hundreds of U.S. airstrikes against more than 1,000 targets in Yemen. The campaign ended with an agreement under which the Houthis pledged to stop targeting American civilian and military ships, while the United States agreed to halt air and naval strikes in Yemen.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)