NEW DELHI: The United States and Britain launched airstrikes on 13 Houthi targets in Yemen on Thursday, according to three US officials.
The strikes were in response to recent attacks by the Iran-backed militia group on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The targets included underground facilities, missile launchers, command and control sites, a Houthi vessel, and eight uncrewed aerial vehicles that posed a threat to American and coalition forces.
This marks the fifth combined operation against the Houthis by the US and British militaries since January 12.The US has also been conducting almost daily strikes to take out Houthi targets, including incoming missiles and drones aimed at ships, as well as weapons prepared for launch.
The US F/A-18 fighter jets were launched from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, with other US warships in the region also participating.
The Houthis have stepped up attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in recent months, demanding an end to the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostages.
The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel, and sunk another since November, according to the US Maritime Administration. As a result, shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined due to the threat.
President Joe Biden and other senior leaders have repeatedly warned that the US will not tolerate the Houthi attacks against commercial shipping. However, the counterattacks have not appeared to diminish the Houthis’ campaign against shipping in the region.
US warships have taken out a number of missile launchers and drones targeting vessels in the region over the past week.
The strikes were in response to recent attacks by the Iran-backed militia group on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The targets included underground facilities, missile launchers, command and control sites, a Houthi vessel, and eight uncrewed aerial vehicles that posed a threat to American and coalition forces.
This marks the fifth combined operation against the Houthis by the US and British militaries since January 12.The US has also been conducting almost daily strikes to take out Houthi targets, including incoming missiles and drones aimed at ships, as well as weapons prepared for launch.
The US F/A-18 fighter jets were launched from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, with other US warships in the region also participating.
The Houthis have stepped up attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in recent months, demanding an end to the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostages.
The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel, and sunk another since November, according to the US Maritime Administration. As a result, shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined due to the threat.
President Joe Biden and other senior leaders have repeatedly warned that the US will not tolerate the Houthi attacks against commercial shipping. However, the counterattacks have not appeared to diminish the Houthis’ campaign against shipping in the region.
US warships have taken out a number of missile launchers and drones targeting vessels in the region over the past week.