Yemen: US air strike on migrant detention centre must be investigated as a war crime

A new, in-depth investigation by Amnesty International concludes that a US air strike on a migrant detention centre in Sa’ada, north-western Yemen, on 28 April 2025 that killed and injured dozens of African migrants amounted to an indiscriminate attack. US authorities must promptly and transparently investigate it as a war crime.  

The attack, carried out by the US military during “Operation Rough Rider,” inflicted catastrophic civilian harm on vulnerable migrants, many of whom were held by the Huthi de facto authorities in the detention centre solely for their irregular immigration status. 

‘It is a miracle we survived’: US air strike on civilians held in Sa’ada detention centre is based on interviews with 15 survivors, all of whom were Ethiopian migrants detained in Sa’ada, and analysis of digital evidence, including satellite imagery, photos and videos. The report provides compelling evidence that, in carrying out this attack, the US failed to abide by its obligation under international humanitarian law to distinguish between civilian objects and military objectives. 

The strike killed and injured dozens of the migrants held at the detention centre at the time of the attack. Survivors who spoke to Amnesty International were able to identify by name and approximate age 16 of the people – all Ethiopian migrants, all men and most in their twenties – who had been killed.