Pentagon tells Congress US military airstrikes in Yemen resulted in 153 civilians killed

In 2025, US military operations resulted in 153 civilian deaths and 243 injuries, according to a Pentagon assessment shared with the US Congress. This marks a significant rise from 2024, when the Pentagon reported only two civilian casualties and two injuries from US military actions. The majority of these casualties were attributed to three US strikes in Yemen in April of that year, as documented by Reuters.

The Pentagon stated that the Central Command believed with more than 50% probability that these strikes caused civilian harm. Further assessments by Central Command indicated 15 additional incidents in Yemen as of February 2026, based on reports from non-governmental organizations. The US military claims its operations in Yemen aim to weaken the capabilities of Iran-backed Houthi militants.

However, the Pentagon's assessment does not cover casualties from US strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. As of February 1, 2026, the Southern Command reported no civilian casualties resulting from US military operations in its area of responsibility. The Trump administration has carried out vessel strikes in the Eastern Pacific, targeting what it labels as "narco-terrorists," resulting in over 200 deaths since September 2025, according to Reuters' tally.

Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have labeled these vessel strikes as unlawful extrajudicial killings. The American Civil Liberties Union has criticized the administration's assertions about the targeted individuals as "unsubstantiated, fear-mongering claims."