Forces from the United States and the United Kingdom launched about 100 missiles at sites utilized by the Houthi rebel group in Yemen on Thursday. These raids took place after about three months of attacks by the group against civilian shipping and American and British warships.
The Pentagon announced attacks on at least 60 sites in Yemen. While the United States and Britain launched the sorties, they were aided in the effort by Australia, the Netherlands, Bahrain and Canada.
President Joe Biden said that he took the action “” in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea—including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history.”
The president said that the American strikes “are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes.”
The president said that he “will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”
According to U.S. Navy Officials, over 15 F/A-18 “Super Hornet” Multirole Fighters launched from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) participated in tonight’s Air Operation against the Houthi Terrorist Group over Western Yemen, with well over 100 Precision-Guided Munitions from…
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 12, 2024
The Houthis claimed that the strikes killed five people.
The effort also came as the United States leads a naval effort to protect merchant ships from attacks near Yemen.
The strikes came after more than two dozen attacks on a number of vessels. One of the attacks included the hijacking of a vessel linked to Israel. The U.S. Navy helped prevent a similar hijacking attempt several weeks ago.
In addition to the hijackings, the rebels have also launched a number of missiles and drones against both naval and merchant ships. On several occasions, U.S. Navy destroyers have shot down multiple projectiles shot over the Red Sea.
The rebels have also launched several attempted missile and drone attacks against Israel.
The Houthis control much of Yemen’s more densely populated western portion. The group is fighting against a United Nations-recognized government and began its attacks on shipping after the start of the Israel-Hamas war last October.
