The U.S. and Britain launched airstrikes against the Houthi terrorist group in Yemen on Friday, U.S. officials told The Associated Press.
The Houthis have been stirring chaos in the Middle East for years, but in the last year have set new goals, including participating in an ongoing Iranian-backed attack on Israel and disrupting global shipping in the Red Sea. U.S. and British forces launched airstrikes against more than a dozen Houthi targets on Friday, just days after the terrorist group promised “escalating military operations” against Israel and reportedly shot down yet another U.S. drone over Yemen, the officials told the AP.
Military warships and aircraft were involved in the strike, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter. The strikes hit five different locations in Yemen as U.S. and British forces targeted Houthi weapons systems, bases and other sites.
A @usairforce F-22 Raptor flys within the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility. @USAFCENT pic.twitter.com/djj1lZDb8C
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) October 3, 2024
Houthi-supported media reported that seven of the strikes hit in a major port city in Yemen, and another area housing a Houthi military base, according to the AP. Other strikes hit inside the nation’s capital; air raid sirens were being reported in southwest Yemen as well.
The Houthis responded by firing over a half-dozen ballistic and anti-cruise missiles at three U.S. ships in the region, though all attacks were shot down, several U.S. officials told the AP. It’s a common occurrence for such Houthi attacks to fail; the Houthis have fired missiles at more than 80 merchant vessels traversing the region since last year, but U.S. and coalition forces often intercept the attacks. Some attacks against merchant vessels have been successful, however, and the Red Sea continues to be dangerous to sail through given the Houthi’s aggression in the region.
The Houthis began attacking Israel, U.S. and Western forces in October last year out of support for Hamas, which invaded Israel on Oct. 7 and killed roughly 1,200 people, lighting the fuse for an ongoing regional war. Aside from the Houthis, Israel is currently in a multi-front conflict with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, the latter of which funds and supports the terrorist groups.
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