- Written by Yaroslav Lukiv
- BBC news
Watch video: Smoke rises over Yemen's capital Sanaa
The Pentagon says US and British warplanes have attacked 18 Houthi strongholds in Yemen, marking the fourth joint operation by the allies.
The United States said Saturday's attacks were directed at warehouse facilities, drones, air defense systems, radars and militant helicopters.
Britain claims its allies acted to “further degrade” the Houthis' capabilities.
Attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis against shipping on the vital Red Sea trade route continue.
The Houthis, who control large swathes of Yemen including the capital Sanaa, have targeted ships believed to have ties to Israel and Western countries in response to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war.
Global supply chains are currently facing severe disruption and rising costs as a result of some major shipping companies rerouting ships from the Red Sea, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
In a joint statement, the Pentagon said Saturday's “necessary and appropriate strikes will be carried out against eight targets inside Yemen, particularly related to Houthi underground weapons storage facilities, missile storage facilities, one-way strike unmanned aerial systems, air defense systems, and radars.” “We targeted 18 Houthi targets in three locations.” , and a helicopter.
“These precision strikes are aimed at disrupting and reducing the capabilities the Houthis are using to threaten global trade, warships, and the lives of innocent sailors in one of the world's most important waterways. .”
“Since mid-November, the Houthis have now attacked more than 45 commercial and naval vessels, posing a threat not only to regional security and stability but also to the global economy, which demands an international response,” the statement said. “It has been a long time since I've been in the middle of a long time.''
The statement added that the airstrikes were carried out “with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand.”
Shortly afterward, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stressed that the United States “will not hesitate to take action as necessary to protect lives and freedom of commerce in one of the world's most important waterways.”
Separately, British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said: “It is our duty to protect life at sea and protect freedom of navigation.”
“That is why the Royal Air Force launched a fourth wave of precision strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen.”
On the same day, the US military announced that it had destroyed seven Houthi mobile anti-ship missiles that were preparing for an attack.
