US, UK strike 36 Houthi targets in Yemen

The strikes hit weapons storage facilities, missile systems, launchers and other capabilities of Houthis

FE Team | Published: February 04, 2024 22:43:18

SANAA, Feb 04 (Reuters/AFP): The United States and Britain launched strikes against 36 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday, in the second day of major US operations against Iran-linked groups following a deadly attack on American troops last weekend.
The strikes hit buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems, launchers and other capabilities the Houthis have used to attack Red Sea shipping, the Pentagon said, adding it targeted 13 locations across the country.
It was the latest sign of spreading conflict in the Middle East since war erupted between Israel and Hamas after the militant Palestinian group's deadly assault on Israel on Oct 7.
"This collective action sends a clear message to the Houthis that they will continue to bear further consequences if they do not end their illegal attacks on international shipping and naval vessels," US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said.
The Yemen strikes are running parallel to an unfolding US campaign of military retaliation over the killing of three American soldiers in a drone strike by Iran-backed militants on an outpost in Jordan.
On Friday, the US carried out the first wave of that retaliation, striking in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and militias it backs, reportedly killing nearly 40 people.
While Washington accuses Iran-backed militias of attacking US troops at bases in Iraq, Syria and Jordan, Yemen's Iran-linked Houthis have been regularly targeting commercial ships and warships in the Red Sea.
The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel strikes Gaza. But the US and its allies characterizes them as indiscriminate and a menace to global trade.
UNSC to meet today on
US strikes in Mideast
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Monday afternoon on the US strikes in Iraq and Syria, which it launched in retaliation for the death of three American soldiers, diplomatic sources told AFP.
The meeting, requested by permanent member Russia, will take place at 4:00 pm (2100 GMT) on Monday, diplomatic sources said, and would discuss the attacks launched by Washington against Iran-backed groups it has accused of attacking US troops in the region.
Huthis vow response as US,
UK strike Yemen targets
Yemen's Huthis said Sunday US and British air strikes "will not deter us" and vowed a response after dozens of targets were hit in retaliation for the Iran-backed rebels' repeated Red Sea attacks.
The joint air raids in Yemen late Saturday, denounced by Iran, followed a separate wave of unilateral American strikes against Iran-linked targets in Iraq and Syria in response to a drone attack that killed three US soldiers in Jordan.
It was the third time that British and American forces have jointly targeted the Huthis, whose attacks in solidarity with Palestinians in war-battered Gaza have disrupted global trade.