Trump's Yemen campaign left 153 civilians dead in three Pentagon-confirmed incidents
Reporting and findings
- alleged
After interviews with 15 survivors and analysis of imagery, photos, and video, Amnesty International concluded the April 28 strike on the Sa'ada migrant detention center was indiscriminate and should be investigated as a war crime.
- Amnesty International: Yemen: US air strike on detention centre must be investigated as a war crimeFindings and methodology published October 29, 2025
- documented
Trump reported to Congress that, at his direction, U.S. Central Command began large-scale strikes in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in March 2025.
- The White House: Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the SenateMarch 28, 2025 letter, second action reported to Congress
- documented
The Defense Department assessed that three April 2025 Operation Rough Rider incidents more likely than not killed 153 civilians and injured 243; 15 additional Yemen incidents remained under assessment as of February 1, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Defense: Annual Report on Civilian Casualties in Connection with United States Military Operations in 2025Operation Rough Rider incident table and open-assessment discussion
Summary and current status
Trump directed the 2025 large-scale U.S. campaign against Houthi targets in Yemen. The Defense Department later assessed that three April strikes more likely than not killed 153 civilians and injured 243; 15 additional incident reports remained under assessment at the report cutoff. Amnesty International separately concluded the Sa'ada migrant-detention-center strike was indiscriminate and should be investigated as a war crime. That is a formal allegation and investigation demand, not an opened prosecution or adjudicated finding.
Three incidents assessed; 15 additional reports remained under review at the 2026 cutoff.
People and organizations
- Operation Rough RiderU.S. strike campaign
- Donald J. Trumppresident directing the campaign
- Republic of Yemenstate where the strikes occurred
Relationships in this file
- Donald J. Trumpdirected military campaignOperation Rough Rider
- Donald J. Trumpdirected large-scale strikes inRepublic of Yemen
Figures
Documented civilian deaths153 people killed Calculation details
- Basis
- Observed
- Population
- Civilians the Defense Department assessed as more likely than not killed in three confirmed Operation Rough Rider incidents
- Period
- 2025-04-06 to 2025-04-28
- Method
- Sum of the Defense Department's incident-level assessed civilian deaths for Sanaa, Ras Isa, and Sa'ada.
- Uncertainty
- Official assessed count for three incidents only; 15 additional incident reports remained under review and are excluded.
Documented civilian injuries243 people injured Calculation details
- Basis
- Observed
- Population
- Civilians the Defense Department assessed as more likely than not injured in three confirmed Operation Rough Rider incidents
- Period
- 2025-04-06 to 2025-04-28
- Method
- Sum of the Defense Department's incident-level assessed civilian injuries for Sanaa, Ras Isa, and Sa'ada.
- Uncertainty
- Official assessed count for three incidents only; 15 additional incident reports remained under review and are excluded.
Documented civilian-harm incidents3 incidents Calculation details
- Basis
- Observed
- Population
- Operation Rough Rider incidents the Defense Department assessed as more likely than not causing civilian casualties
- Period
- 2025-04-06 to 2025-04-28
- Method
- Count of the three confirmed civilian-harm incidents listed in the Defense Department's 2025 annual civilian-casualty report.
- Uncertainty
- Fifteen additional Yemen incident reports remained under assessment as of February 1, 2026 and are excluded.
Cross-border uses of force1 campaign Calculation details
- Basis
- Observed
- Population
- Operation Rough Rider, the March 15 through May 6, 2025 U.S. military campaign in Yemen
- Period
- 2025-03-15 to 2025-05-06
- Method
- Counted the named campaign as one cross-border use of force, not each sortie, strike, or target.
- Uncertainty
- Campaign-level count; it should not be added to a strike-level count without a common unit definition.
Sa'ada incident assessed by Amnesty International1 incident Calculation details
- Basis
- Observed
- Population
- April 28, 2025 Sa'ada migrant detention center strike only
- Period
- 2025-04-28 to 2025-04-28
- As of
- 2025-10-29
- Method
- Count one actual incident with Amnesty International's October 29, 2025 assessment that it was indiscriminate and should be investigated as a war crime. Reuse the existing cited claim rough-rider-amnesty-war-crime-allegation; do not count the other Rough Rider incidents under this key.
- Uncertainty
- NGO legal assessment, not a criminal judgment. CENTCOM said it was reviewing civilian-harm reports. Trump's connection is authorization of the campaign, not demonstrated personal target selection.
Formal war-crime allegations1 formal allegation Calculation details
- Basis
- Observed
- Population
- Amnesty International's October 29, 2025 conclusion concerning the April 28 Sa'ada migrant-detention-center strike
- Period
- 2025-10-29 to 2025-10-29
- Method
- Counted Amnesty International's published conclusion and demand for a war-crime investigation as one formal allegation.
- Uncertainty
- This is not an official investigation, charge, prosecution, or adjudicated war-crime finding.