Houthi media reported today, Friday, that U.S.-British airstrikes on Al Hudaydah and Salif killed 16 and injured more than 30 people on Thursday night. The British military announced that it carried out a "joint operation" with U.S. forces that included airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen aimed at undermining their military capabilities. The British Ministry of Defense stated in a brief announcement that "British forces participated in a joint operation with U.S. forces to undermine the military capabilities of the Houthis, who continue to carry out attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden."
The statement added that intelligence "confirmed" the involvement of two sites in the Al Hudaydah area in attacks targeting maritime navigation, noting that the Houthis used homes in this area to store explosive drones and control them remotely. According to the statement, the airstrikes also targeted another site west of Al Hudaydah that the Houthis used to carry out drone attacks. Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV also mentioned other strikes targeting the capital, Sana'a, and other areas.
Since November, Houthi rebels have launched dozens of attacks with missiles and drones on commercial ships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, claiming they are linked to Israel or heading to its ports. They assert this is in support of Palestinians in Gaza amid the ongoing war since October 7. The U.S. leads an international naval coalition aimed at "protecting" maritime navigation in this strategic region where 12% of global trade passes through. To deter them, U.S. and British forces have been conducting strikes on Houthi positions since January 12. The U.S. military periodically conducts strikes on missiles and drones it claims are prepared for launch.
