Amnesty International has accused the United States of committing a war crime over an airstrike carried out by the U.S. military on a detention center for African migrants in the city of Saada, northwestern Yemen, on April 28, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens.

In a report published on its official website today, the organization stated that the U.S. strike constituted an indiscriminate and unjustified attack targeting a known civilian facility, emphasizing that the U.S. military failed to comply with international humanitarian law during the operation.

The report explained that the findings were based on testimonies from survivors and Ethiopian migrants, along with digital evidence and satellite imagery analysis, which revealed that the targeted building was overcrowded with civilian detainees and showed no signs of any military presence inside.

Kristin Beckerle, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, described the incident as “horrific,” affirming that the U.S. airstrike indiscriminately targeted unarmed detainees. She called for an immediate and transparent investigation and for those responsible for the attack to be held accountable, including under the principle of command responsibility, as well as for financial and moral compensation to be provided to the victims and their families.

The organization noted that the Ansar Allah group—referring to the Sana’a-based authorities—had been using the facility for years to detain migrants, and that its civilian nature was widely known.

Amnesty further urged Washington to conduct an independent and comprehensive investigation into the strike and to make its findings public, while also calling on Ansar Allah to review its practices regarding the detention of migrants.