US, British militaries launch new round of joint strikes against multiple Houthi sites in Yemen
The US and Britain on Monday launched a punishing wave of fresh airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen in retaliation for attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
The bombings targeting the rebels’ strongholds — including drone and missile sites and even an underground bunker — were the eighth US-led strikes in 11 days.
Monday’s offensive also marked the second time the US and Britain have launched joint retaliatory strikes on Houthi-linked locations.
“President Biden has directed the Secretary of Defense in coordination with Australia, Bahrain, Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom to execute precise strikes against select Houthi targets in Yemen,” a senior US defense official said on a call with reporters.
“This action aims to deter further regional maritime attacks, and diminish Houthi capabilities.”
The US and Britain began the bombing of Houthi targets at 4 p.m. EST, dropping around 25 to 30 munitions, according to a Pentagon military official. The countries’ militaries deployed warship- and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles as well as fighter jets to take out their targets.
The goal of the attack was to take out Houthi military supplies that could be used to attack commercial ships in the Red Sea — an initiative the US-designated terrorist group claims was in response to Israel’s bombing of Gaza and began at the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October.
The Houthi attacks have threatened to disrupt global trade and have often targeted ships indiscriminately — whether or not they were linked to Israel and its strongest ally, the US.
US authorities said Monday’s mission was a successful one.
“We can tell you that we observed good impacts,” a senior military official told reporters. The strikes destroyed “missiles, unmanned aerial systems, and weapons storage areas.”
The US and its allies have repeatedly warned the Houthis that it would take action if its strikes against Red Sea ships did not stop. The threats, however, appeared to do little to stop the Houthi missiles, which US fighter jets and ship-launched Tomahawks have been taking down on a near-daily basis.
Another warning came along with Monday’s offensive.
“We stand ready to take further actions to neutralize threats or respond to attacks ensuring the stability and security of the Red Sea region and the international trade routes,” a US senior defense official said.
The Houthis, who are backed and well-equipped by Iran, made it clear that they do not plan to scale back their attacks in the Red Sea, where roughly 400 commercial ships pass through at any given time.
With Post wires
