The United States military says it has conducted air strikes against targets linked to the Houthi rebels in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, including a missile storage facility and a “command-and-control” site.
US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US Army operations in the Middle East, said on Saturday that the strikes aimed “to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations”.
A senior Houthi official termed the US strikes “terrorist attacks”.
“The American terrorist attacks confirm the lawless rampage and criminality in the region,” Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Supreme Political Council of the Yemeni rebels, posted on X.
“The reckless terrorist actions against Yemen do not stop the support [for Gaza],” the official added.
The Iran-allied group has previously launched attacks on US Navy and merchant vessels in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden, CENTCOM said in a social media post.
Later on Sunday, the US military said two of its navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea in “an apparent case of friendly fire.” Both pilots were recovered alive, though “initial assessments indicate that one of the crew members sustained minor injuries,” the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) stated.
The incident come amid an uptick in attacks between the Houthis and the Israeli military this week.
Israel bombed several targets in Yemen on Thursday, including power stations near Sanaa.
The Israeli bombardment, which killed at least nine people, followed a missile launch by the Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, towards Tel Aviv.
CENTCOM Conducts Airstrikes Against Iran-Backed Houthi Missile Storage and Command/Control Facilities in Yemen
TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by… pic.twitter.com/YRWWQJIweP
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 21, 2024
In the latest incident, in the early hours of Saturday, the Houthis said they launched a ballistic missile at central Israel.
The Israeli military said it had failed to intercept the projectile, which fell in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa area.
Local emergency services said 16 people were “mildly injured” in the incident.
The Houthis have been targeting Israel with drones and missiles to pressure the US ally to end its war in Gaza, where the US-backed Israeli military has killed more than 45,000 people.
The Yemeni rebels also have been carrying out attacks on shipping lanes in and around the Red Sea as part of the same campaign, which they say is in support of Palestinians.
For months, the US and the United Kingdom have been bombing Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the Red Sea assaults.
The administration of US President Joe Biden has also imposed sanctions against the Houthis.
On Thursday, Washington sanctioned the governor of the central bank in Houthi-controlled Sanaa and several Houthi officials and associated companies, accusing them of helping the group acquire “dual-use and weapons components”.
