US and British strikes hit Houthi-controlled Yemen

Shafaq News/ US and British airstrikes targeted multiple Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen in the early hours of Thursday, according to reports from Houthi-affiliated media.

The strikes reportedly hit Jarban in Sanaa Province, Harf Sufyan in Amran, and Al-Luhayyah in Hodeidah, though details about the targets remain unclear.

Earlier this week, the Houthis claimed responsibility for attacking the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the northern Red Sea and launching missiles and drones at targets across Israel.

Two days after, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it had conducted “multiple precision strikes”, targeting “two Iranian-backed Houthi underground Advanced Conventional Weapon (ACW) storage facilities within Houthi-controlled territories of Yemen”. CENTCOM stated these facilities had been employed to launch attacks on US naval and commercial ships in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The strikes caused no casualties or damage to US personnel or equipment.

The US and UK operation, named “Poseidon’s Spear,” began on January 12, 2024, targeting Houthi strongholds across Yemen. The strikes are seen as retaliation for the group’s attacks on vessels linked to Israel and their threats against international shipping.

In solidarity with Gaza, the Houthis have stated that they consider all US and British ships legitimate military targets, threatening to expand attacks into the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean.