Yemeni authorities say US airstrikes on several Houthi targets have killed more than 30 people, most of them women and children. The overnight strikes mainly targeted the capital Sana'a, and three other parts of the country. The attacks came after US President Donald Trump warned the Houthis of "hell raining down on them," after the rebel group threatened to resume attacks on Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis threats were in protest to Tel Aviv's total blockade of the Gaza Strip, which is now in its third week. It's the first US military operation against the Houthis since Trump returned to office in January and re-designated the group as a "foreign terrorist organization." The Houthis have vowed to retaliate. Ehab Al-Fandi reports from one of the sites hit by the air strikes. 

American airstrikes targeted the Yemeni capital, Sanaa on Saturday evening, and into the early hours of Sunday morning causing severe damage to businesses and homes. Debris from the bombings was scattered across the streets and alleys. As the smoke cleared, residents began clearing the rubble and recovering what was left of their belongings. 

IBRAHIM AL-MAJHRI, Resident "People were safe in their homes at dawn when the airstrikes hit civilians. There are injured people in hospitals, and even those who were already sick panicked because of the bombing. We have done nothing wrong. We are in civilian areas, not military sites. The attack caused injuries and deaths, and children were terrified." 

ABDULHALIM AL-MATARI, Eyewitness "The American airstrikes hit while we were safe in our homes. But no matter what they strike us with, they will not scare the Yemenis. We will respond to them in their own land."

The Ansar Allah group, also known as the Houthis, says its armed forces are ready to respond to the US strikes. In a statement, the group denounced the targeting of civilians and civilian structures as a war crime.

RASHAD AL-WUTAIRI, Military Expert "The U.S. airstrikes on Yemen are seen by the Americans as a pre-emptive move to control Yemen's position and stop its support for Gaza by blocking Israeli shipping. But this escalation will increase tensions in the region. The Yemeni armed forces will respond. Any source of attacks against Yemen will be targeted at the right time."

According to Yemen's health ministry, many of those killed and injured in Sanaa and parts of Saada province in Yemen's north were women and children.

EHAB AL-FANDI, Sanaa "The impact of the American and British airstrikes on Yemen is still unfolding. The number of casualties is rising, and rescue teams are searching for survivors under the rubble. As the airstrikes continue in areas controlled by the Sanaa government, concerns are growing about a worsening humanitarian situation, amid reports of vital infrastructure being targeted. Ehab Al-Fandi, CGTN, reporting from one of the sites affected by American airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen."