At least 16 people were killed and 35 others wounded in joint British-U.S. airstrikes targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels. The strikes were in response to the rebels' attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The U.S. officials described the strikes as hitting various underground facilities, missile launchers, command and control sites, and a Houthi vessel.
The airstrikes were carried out by U.S. F/A-18 fighter jets launched from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, with other U.S. warships in the region also participating. The Houthis claimed that a strike hit a building housing Hodeida Radio and civilian homes in the port city on the Red Sea, resulting in casualties.
The U.K. Defense Ministry stated that Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s conducted strikes on buildings in Hodeida and Ghulayfiqah, targeting drone ground control facilities and surface-to-air weapons. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak emphasized that the strikes were taken in self-defense against the ongoing threat posed by the Houthis.
The Houthis have been launching attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, demanding an end to the war in Gaza. They have carried out over 50 attacks on shipping, resulting in casualties and the seizure of vessels. The U.S. Maritime Administration reported that the Houthis attacked a ship carrying grain to Iran, their main supporter.
Additionally, a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed in Yemen, with the Houthis claiming responsibility for firing a surface-to-air missile at it. The U.S. Air Force did not report any missing aircraft, raising suspicions that the drone may have been operated by the CIA.
