Source: Amnesty International –
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.
This was a lethal failure by the US to comply with one of its core obligations under international humanitarian law.
Kristine Beckerle, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
“The harrowing testimonies from survivors paint a clear picture of a civilian building, packed with detainees, being bombed without distinction. This was a lethal failure by the US to comply with one of its core obligations under international humanitarian law: to do everything feasible to verify whether the object attacked was a military objective,” said Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
“Victims and their families should receive full reparation, including financial compensation. Given the air strike killed and injured civilians, the US authorities should investigate this attack as a war crime. Where sufficient evidence exists, competent authorities should prosecute any person suspected of criminal responsibility, including under the doctrine of command responsibility.”
Amnesty International formally requested information from US Central Command (CENTCOM) and US Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) on 27 August 2025, detailing its findings and seeking clarification on the military objective attacked and the precautions taken. CENTCOM provided only a brief response on the same day the request was sent, stating that it was still “assessing all reports of civilian harm”, that it was taking all of them “seriously” and reviewing them “thoroughly”.
Amnesty International also requested information from the Huthi de facto authorities on 11 September 2025, sharing its findings and seeking clarification regarding the uses of the Sa’ada prison compound and the migrant detention centre, the number of people detained at the time of the attack, their conditions of detention, and what steps, if any, the Huthi authorities took to investigate the failure of prison guards to allow detainees to seek safe shelter.
The Huthi Ministry of Justice and Human Rights provided two detailed responses on 24 September and 6 October 2025, including information on the number of migrants detained at the centre, denying any wrongdoing in terms of conditions of detention, and sharing a list of casualties from the US air strike.