The strikes, which took place about 24km (15 miles) south of Sanaa overnight, hit buildings identified by UK intelligence as sites used to produce drones that have been used in attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, according to the British Ministry of Defence.

The ministry said the operation was planned to minimise civilian casualties, though no figures were provided.

In mid-March, US President Donald Trump ordered the military to wage “decisive and powerful” strikes on the Houthis so long as they continue targeting shipping in the Red Sea.

Since then, the Pentagon says the strikes have hit more than 1,000 targets across Yemen, “killing Houthi fighters and leaders … and degrading their capabilities”.

And Mwatana for Human Rights, a Sanaa-based rights group, says it has documented hundreds more civilian casualties in recent US attacks.

“For over a decade of armed conflict, Yemeni civilians have been the targets of indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks by warring parties,” said Radhya al-Mutawakel, chairwoman of Mwatana.

“At a time when they were hoping to see an end to this bloody chapter of their lives, they now find themselves potential targets of US forces’ attacks,” she added.

An unnamed US defence official told the Reuters news agency that the Pentagon is aware of claims of civilian casualties from Monday’s strike and is conducting an assessment.

The Houthis have controlled large swaths of Yemen for nearly 10 years. Since November 2023, they have been launching missile and drone attacks on what they say are Israel-linked vessels in the Red Sea, disrupting global supply routes.