The US and British militaries bombed eight locations they said are used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on Monday night, the second time the two allies have conducted coordinated retaliatory strikes on an array of the rebels' missile-launching capabilities. According to officials, warship- and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets were used to take out Houthi missile storage sites and launchers. Officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands contributed to the mission, including with intelligence and surveillance, the AP reports.
In a joint statement, the six allied nations said the strikes specifically targeted a Houthi underground storage site and locations associated with the Houthis' missile and air surveillance capabilities. The statement added that "our aim remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea, but let us reiterate our warning to Houthi leadership: we will not hesitate to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world's most critical waterways in the face of continued threats." The joint operation comes about 10 days after US and British warships and fighter jets struck more than 60 targets in 28 locations. That was the first US military response to what has been a persistent campaign of Houthi drone and missile attacks on commercial ships since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October.
The Houthis' media office said in an online statement that raids targeted Yemen's capital, Sanaa. Jamal Hassan, a resident from south Sanaa, told the AP that two strikes landed near his home, setting off car alarms in the street. An AP journalist in Sanaa also heard aircraft flying above Sanaa overnight Monday. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President Biden spoke earlier Monday. Sunak's office said the two leaders agreed to take "as needed, targeted military action to degrade Houthi capabilities."
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