At least 31 Yemenis have been killed, including six Houthi leaders, after a major wave of US bombing raids on territory controlled by the armed militia, although the Arab press today reports dozens of casualties.

Insurgent spokesman Anis al Asbahi reported 31 dead and 101 wounded, most of them women and children, although the extent of damage to civilian and military infrastructure is not yet known.

Lavrov stressed the need for an immediate end to the use of force and called on the parties to engage in political dialogue to find a solution that would exclude further bloodshed, the Foreign Ministry added in a summary of a telephone conversation between the two chief diplomats on Saturday.

The US side reported its decision to proceed with a military operation against Ansar Allah (Houthi) forces in the Red Sea.

According to the statement, Lavrov and Rubio also discussed specific aspects of the agreements reached on 18 February at a meeting of the Russian and US delegations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and agreed to remain in contact.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump ordered the military to launch a massive military operation against Ansar Allah, which controls northern Yemen.

According to US Central Command, the large-scale operation is aimed at protecting national interests, deterring adversaries and restoring navigation in the area.

Trump designated the Houthis as terrorists shortly before the end of his first term (2017-2021) in January 2021, but his successor Joe Biden removed them from the list the same year.

On 4 March, Washington re-listed Ansar Allah as a terrorist organisation.

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