Hundreds of civilians were killed or wounded by U.S.airstrikes in Yemen last year, but the Pentagon has yet to publicly acknowledge the casualties or share a full account with Congress, according to documents reviewed by NBC News and people with knowledge of the attacks.
The three April 2025 strikes occurred during Operation Rough Rider, a 53-day military campaign Donald President Trump launched less than two months into his second term.The stated goal was to stop Iranian-backed Houthi rebels from threatening ships and allies in the region.
Last year, despite detailed reporting from rights groups on possible large-scale civilian casualties, the Pentagon had assessed there had been no civilian casualties from the U.S.air war against Houthi forces in Yemen.
The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment.NBC News has reviewed documents showing the back-and-forth between the Pentagon and lawmakers trying to get details on the attacks.
In one, the Pentagon wrote to Sen.Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass in March, after repeated requests for information about casualties provided no details on the number of casualties, according to one of the documents reviewed by NBC News.
In the letter, the Pentagon’s assistant secretary for special operations and low intensity conflict, Derrick Anderson, said that U.S.Central Command had reviewed dozens of strikes for possible harm to civilians.
Fifteen incidents remained under “active review” and three attacks in April 2025 warranted further investigation, with assessments concluding that U.S.strikes “more likely than not resulted in civilian casualties,” Anderson wrote.
Under Trump, the United States has released less information about military operations compared to previous administrations, rarely holding press briefings at the Pentagon.Administration officials have offered few details about damage to U.S.
bases or casualties, and in many cases, release information only after media reports emerge.Officials have ra...