US, UK strike Houthi weapons, helicopter in Yemen

The US and UK-led coalition struck sites belonging to the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Sana'a and other Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen on Saturday night.

The strikes hit 18 targets at eight locations, including underground weapons storage facilities, missile storage facilities, kamikaze drones, air defense systems, radars, and a helicopter.

A statement by the UK Defense Ministry noted that the Royal Air Force targeted several very long-range drones identified through intelligence analysis at a former surface-to-air missile battery site several miles northeast of Sana'a. The RAF used Paveway IV precision-guided bombs against the drones and their launchers.

The strikes aimed to "further disrupt and degrade the capabilities of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia to conduct their destabilizing and reckless attacks against US and international vessels lawfully transiting the Red Sea, the Bab AI-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden," said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

"The United States will not hesitate to take action, as needed, to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world's most critical waterways," Austin said. "We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that they will bear the consequences if they do not stop their illegal attacks, which harm Middle Eastern economies, cause environmental damage, and disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen and other countries."

Houthis have carried out 45 attacks since mid-November

According to a joint statement by Australia, Bahrain, Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, the Houthis have conducted over 45 attacks against commercial and naval vessels since mid-November.

"Our coalition of like-minded countries remains committed to protecting freedom of navigation and international commerce and holding the Houthis accountable for their illegal and unjustifiable attacks on commercial shipping and naval vessels," read the joint statement.

"Our aim remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea, but we will once again reiterate our warning to Houthi leadership: we will not hesitate to continue to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in the face of continued threats."

US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that "these strikes are separate and distinct from the multinational freedom of navigation actions performed under Operation Prosperity Guardian."

U.S. Forces, Allies Conduct Joint Strikes in YemenOn Feb. 24, at approximately 11:50 p.m. (Sanaa Yemen time), U.S. Central Command forces alongside UK Armed Forces, and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, conducted strikes… pic.twitter.com/hAQ8Ftkihp

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 24, 2024

The Houthis published a statement after the strikes saying that they targeted an American ship called the Torm Thor with naval missiles, as well as several US warships with UAVs. CENTCOM had said earlier on Saturday that the USS Mason shot down an anti-ship ballistic missile launched into the Gulf of Aden from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and that the missile was likely targeting the Torm Thor, a US-flagged, owned and operated chemical/oil tanker.

The Houthis stressed that they would "confront the American-British escalation with more qualitative military operations against all hostile targets in the Red and Arab Seas in defense of our country, our people, and our nation."

Shortly after the strikes, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received reports of an attack in the Gulf of Aden, adding that authorities were investigating the incident.