Africans in search of a better future became the latest casualties of Yemen’s decade-long conflict after a deadly strike blamed on the United States hit a migrant detention centre, killing dozens of people.The pre-dawn attack on Monday killed more than 60 people in their sleep, the country’s Huthi rebels said, attributing the raid to the US military.Rubble, blood and body parts dotted the grounds of the compound in rebel-held Saada, with several buildings left in ruins, twisted metal glittering in the sun.In a nearby hospital, emaciated African men were recovering from their wounds after surviving the attack that tore their friends to pieces. “The planes struck close by twice. The third time they hit us,” said Abed Ibrahim Saleh, 34, a soft-spoken Ethiopian whose head and leg were wrapped in white gauze.”Dead bodies ripped apart, I can’t describe what I saw… A hand here, a leg there. I don’t want to remember,” he said with a blank stare. Since mid-March, Washington has conducted near-daily air strikes on the Iran-backed Huthis in a bid to stop their campaign of attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, launched in solidarity with Palestinians after the outbreak of the Gaza war.US strikes on the rebels began under former president Joe Biden, but have resumed and intensified under his successor Donald Trump.- ‘Targeting poor migrants’ -Footage broadcast by the Huthis’ Al-Masirah TV at the time of the attack showed bodies lying under the rubble as rescue teams searched for survivors.The tragedy brought back memories of a March 2021 blaze at a Sanaa migrant centre that killed 45 people and was sparked by teargas canisters fired by Huthi forces responding to a protest.In 2022, air strikes blamed on a Saudi-led coalition battling the Huthis hit the same detention complex that was struck on Monday, killing dozens of people.Each year, tens of thousands of migrants cross the Red Sea from the Horn of Africa, fleeing conflict, natural disasters and poor economic prospects.Many hope for employment as labourers or domestic workers in Saudi Arabia and other wealthy Gulf countries, though they first face a perilous journey through war-torn Yemen.Inspecting the wreckage, Ibrahim Abdul Qadir Mohammed Al-Moallem, a member of Yemen’s Somali community, denounced the “heinous crime” against innocent people.”This brutal aggression that killed the sons of Palestine and the Yemeni people is now targeting poor migrants,” he said, blaming the United States for the attack.The Huthis, who have also repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel, paused their attacks during a recent two-month ceasefire in Gaza, but had threatened to resume them after Israel cut off aid to the territory over an impasse in negotiations.Before they could, however, the intensified US campaign resumed, hitting more than 1,000 targets in rebel-held Yemen since March 15. The Huthi’s attacks since then have only targeted US warships.”There is no justification for this,” Moallem said, calling on African leaders to take a stance and urging the international community to “break your silence”.- ‘Alarming’ civilian deaths -Asked about the strike, a US defence official told AFP the army was aware of reports of civilian casualties “and we take those claims very seriously”.”We are currently conducting our battle-damage assessment and inquiry into those claims,” they said on condition of anonymity .The United Nations expressed deep concern at Monday’s strike, while Niku Jafarnia of Human Rights Watch said US attacks “are appearing to kill and injure civilians in Yemen at an alarming rate over the past month”.”Failing to take all feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law,” HRW said.

Syria’s small Druze community largely kept out of the country’s long civil war but since president Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in December it has found itself confronting the new Islamist-led government amid military intervention by Israel.Here is a profile of the religious minority which has been caught up in deadly clashes with armed groups linked to the government in recent days.- Secretive minority -The Druze community accounted for around three percent of Syria’s pre-war population of 23 million, or around 700,000 people.They are concentrated in the southern province of Sweida with smaller pockets around Damascus.Druze are monotheistic and considered Muslim, but the sect is otherwise highly secretive and does not accept converts.They are viewed with suspicion by Sunni Islamist groups, who count among the ranks of Syria’s new government whose roots are in the Al-Qaeda jihadist network.In Israel and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, there are around 150,000 Druze.Most of those in Israel hold Israeli citizenship and serve in the military.By contrast, most of the roughly 23,000 who live in the annexed Golan do not hold Israeli citizenship and still identify as Syrians.Some 200,000 Druze live in Lebanon. – Civil war -Syria’s Druze largely stayed on the sidelines of the  civil war which erupted in 2011 after Assad brutally repressed anti-government protests.Druze forces focused on defending their heartland from attacks and largely avoided conscription into the Syrian armed forces.Sweida province saw more than a year of anti-government protests before Assad’s ouster.The Druze formed their own armed groups during the war. Some have begun negotiations with Damascus on integration into the new national army, following similar moves by armed factions elsewhere.Rayan Maarouf, chief editor of local news outlet Suwayda24, said some 400 Druze fighters had joined the defence ministry’s forces and around 500 others had joined the General Security agency.- Post-Assad -Assad hails from Syria’s Alawite community and as president sought to present himself as protector of all minority groups against the Islamist-led rebels.The new government has repeatedly sought to reassure minorities that they will be protected.But last month saw sectarian massacres in the Alawite heartland on the Mediterranean coast and this week several dozen people, including Druze fighters, have been killed in sectarian clashes near Damascus.Since Assad’s ouster, Israel has increased its overtures to the Druze, voicing support for the minority and mistrust of Syria’s new leaders, whose forces it considers jihadists.The Israeli government has said it has sent thousands of humanitarian aid packages to Syria’s Druze community in recent months.Two delegations of Druze clerics have made pilgrimages to a holy site in Israel despite the continuing state of war between the two countries half a century after a 1974 armistice.In March, Israel warned Syria’s new authorities not to harm the Druze, after clashes in a Damascus suburb.Druze leaders rejected the warning and declared their loyalty to a united Syria.On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military “carried out a warning action and struck the organisation of an extremist group preparing to attack the Druze population” near Damascus.”A stern message was conveyed to the Syrian regime — Israel expects them to act to prevent harm to the Druze community,” the statement from the Israeli premier’s office added.Armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir ordered the military to prepare to strike Syrian government targets if the Druze community faces more violence.