US, UK Launch Airstrikes in Yemen, Targeting Houthi Weapons Facilities
The United States and the United Kingdom have carried out airstrikes in Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, Al Jazeera reports, citing a report from Al Masirah TV, a television station run by the Houthi rebel group.
The Pentagon confirmed the strikes, stating they targeted facilities containing weapons used to attack vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
While there were no immediate reports of casualties, eyewitnesses cited by Al Masirah TV described hearing intense flying and explosions in different parts of Sanaa, as well as in the northern Amran governorate.
The strikes come in response to a series of attacks by the Houthis on commercial ships passing through the Red Sea, some of which have been linked to Israel. Since January, both nations have launched repeated strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in an attempt to deter these attacks.
In July, strikes in Hodeidah province killed at least 16 people, according to the Houthis.
The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, including Sanaa, have justified their attacks on shipping lanes and their missile and drone strikes on Israel as a show of solidarity with Palestinians. They have demanded an end to Israel’s military operations in Gaza as a condition for halting their attacks, which have disrupted trade in one of the world’s busiest maritime routes.
These attacks have resulted in the deaths of four sailors and the sinking of two ships, while one vessel and its crew remain detained after being hijacked last November.
Saturday’s airstrikes come just three days after Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi criticized President-elect Donald Trump for his support of Israel.
Despite the US and UK military campaign, Houthi attacks have continued, with the Iran-linked rebel group launching an attack on the Nevatim military airbase in southern Israel on Friday. They also intercepted a US drone over western Yemen.
The escalating tensions between the Houthis, the US, and the UK have raised concerns over an expansion of the conflict in Gaza and the possibility of further jeopardizing efforts to end Yemen’s civil war.
A fragile truce has been in place since 2022, but the latest developments threaten to further destabilize the region and complicate ongoing peace negotiations.
