News US strikes hit Houthis in Yemen

Shafaq News/ The US announced new attacks on Yemen-based Houthis in the Red Sea as part of the "self-defense" operations.

"On February 8, between the hours of 5 a.m. – 9 p.m. (Sanaa time), US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted seven self-defense strikes against four Houthi unmanned surface vessels (USV) and seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea." The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

CENTCOM explained it identified these missiles and USVs in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an "imminent threat to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region."

On February 7, CENTCOM forces also conducted self-defense strikes against two Houthi mobile anti-ship cruise missiles "prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea."

In the same context, the Pentagon Press Secretary, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder revealed that since the first coalition strikes on January 11 on Houthis, "we've destroyed or degraded more than 100 missiles and launchers, including anti-ship land attack and surface to air missiles, plus numerous communication capabilities, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned surface vessels, coastal radars, air surveillance capabilities and weapon storage areas."

Gen. Ryder repeated that the US does not want escalation and that these strikes are "directly in response to the actions by the Iranian-backed Houthis…however, we will not hesitate to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world's most vital waterways."

The Houthis, also known as Ansarallah, started their operations in the Red Sea, preventing all Israeli or Israeli-related from passing through Bab Al-Mandeb.

The group said that all its operations are in solidarity with the Palestinians and against the Israeli aggression against Gaza, which killed so far more than 27,500 Palestinians, mostly children and women.

The Yemeni group, which controls most of Yemen, including the vital capital, Sanaa, is a key player in the region and a main part of the Iran-backed Axis of Resistance. This umbrella includes Iraqi factions, Lebanese Hezbollah, and Palestinian factions.