More Houthi Locations in Yemen Targeted by US and UK Airstrikes

Monday night saw eight Iranian-backed Houthi locations bombed in Yemen after being targets of the US and British militaries. This is the second time the two allies have had coordinated retaliatory strikes on the persistent rebels via missile launching capabilities.
According to officials, the US and UK used warships and submarines to launch Tomahawk missiles. And to seal the gruesome attack, fighter jets rained hailstorm rounds upon Houthis missile storage sites, drones and launchers. The anonymous official said Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands also had a hand in the mission, constituting intelligence and surveillance.
In a joint statement, the six partner nations expressed that the joint airstrikes were concentrated on a hidden Houthi storage facility and areas linked to the group’s missile and air surveillance capabilities. They affirmed, “Our end goal is always the calming of tensions and the return to a stable environment in the Red Sea. However, we must emphasize this message to the Houthi leadership: we will not relent when it comes to ensuring the safety of lives and maintaining a seamless trade environment across one of the globe’s most important waterways, will not waver in the light of ongoing challenges.”
The UK’s Ministry of Defence has affirmed that four Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have selectively hit “numerous targets at two military locations near the Sanaa airfield,” deploying precision-guided bombs. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps related the strikes as a project “intended to impair Houthi’s capabilities”. He continued to express that this operation would “further diminish their dwindling resources and capacity to pose a threat to international trade.”
A senior US military official shared with reporters that the strikes consisted of about 30 munitions that hit multiple targets. He added that “the US observed good impacts and effects” in all sites. It included the destruction of an underground storage facility, making it the first time such weapons were targeted.
The official also shared that fighter jets from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier carried out airstrikes as well. Other vessels that took part in this operation were the USS Gravely and USS Mason – both naval destroyers, along with the USS Philippine Sea, a cruiser.
This joint operation comes just about 10 days after US and British warships historically struck around 60 targets in 28 locations. Typically, the first US military response to the persistent campaign of Houthi drone and missile-targeted attacks on commercial ships following the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October.
On Monday, the Houthi’s media office shared in an online statement that the raids were targetting Sanaa, Yemen’s capital. Jamal Hassana, a South Sanaa resident, shared with a media house that two strikes landed a few meters from his home. The loud bang and sound set off car alarms and dingy smoke that caused a moment of confusion for the Sanaa dwellers. This happened after they heard aircraft flying low in the skies just the previous night.
According to Al-Masirah, a satellite news channel associated with the Houthi movement, airstrikes targeted three areas in Sanaa: al-Dailami Air Base to the north of the capital, Sarif to the northeast of the city centre, and al-Hafa to the south of Sanaa.
On Monday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had a tete-a-tete with President Joe Biden, during which they allegedly agreed to undertake specific military actions aimed at further neutralizing Houthi capabilities as deemed necessary.
The recent series of coordinated attacks by the two countries represents the eighth instance of the US conducting strikes on Houthi locations since January 12. This follows an almost daily assault over the past week alone. Talk of US fighter jets and ship-based Tomahawks, all targeting Houthi missile launchers. These ruthless and rapid response missions, directed at launchers prepared for imminent use, highlight the growing proficiency in monitoring, detecting, and neutralizing potential threats from Yemen.
In an exclusive interview with EatNews, London-based Yemeni, Majid, shared his account. Having returned from Yemen just before the recent airstrikes commenced, Majid considers himself fortunate. He said, “When I got off the plane in London, I felt a strange relief, even though I knew my home country would soon deal with big challenges. I left my family behind, but I’m thankful to have been able to return to my London home before the strikes occurred.” When asked about his thoughts on the current situation, Majid expressed, “The escalation of violence is deeply distressing. I sincerely hope the situation de-escalates as soon as possible. My heart goes out to my fellow Yemenis who are caught in the middle of this conflict. It’s a difficult time for us all.”
The mounting series of assaults and counterattacks involving the United States, its partners, and adversaries signifies that the retaliation strikes have yet to deter the Houthis from their disruptive activities against the Red Sea freight movement. It raises concerns that the widespread regional conflict, which the US has been striving to steal a march on for months, is inching dangerously closer to reality.
For a long time, Houthis have attacked vessels and ships in the region’s shipping lanes said to be actually heading to Israeli ports. They counter that their actions on the Red Sea aim to weaken Israel’s offensive edge on Gaza triggered by the Palestinian Hamas militants back on October 7 in the Southern region of Israel. However, as the attacks persist, any connections to the ships targeted in the rebel offensives are becoming increasingly fragile.
The US and its allies had cautioned against potential counteractions for several weeks. On January 3, the White House, along with numerous partner nations, delivered a final warning to the Houthis: stop the attacks or be prepared to contend with potential military consequences.
The relentless plight of the ships has pushed the US and its global partners to take exceptional measures to protect them through a united pact named Operation Prosperity Guardian. The aim is to extend a shield of protection over the vessels navigating the vital waterway that stretches from the Suez Canal down to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
With circa 400 commercial vessels cruising the southern Red Sea at any moment, the lingering unrest has led shipping companies to reconsider their routes. Rather than risking the Red Sea, they are navigating around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope — a far lengthier and less efficient journey.