CENTCOM strikes key Houthi tunnel base under 24 hours after IDF meeting
The Houthis have increased the frequency of firing ballistic missiles at Israel for several weeks without any significant breaks.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday said it carried out precision strikes on the Houthis’ underground advanced conventional weapons storage facilities in Yemen. The airstrikes took place less than 24 hours after CENTCOM’s deputy commander met with the IDF’s deputy chief of staff, it said.
The Houthis had used the facilities to conduct attacks against US Navy vessels and merchant ships in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, CENTCOM said.
“The strikes are part of CENTCOM’s effort to degrade Iranian-backed Houthi attempts to threaten regional partners and military and merchant vessels in the region,” it said.
CENTCOM Deputy Commander V.-Adm. Brad Cooper and IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Amir Baram met in Israel on Tuesday afternoon to discuss strategy against the Houthis. Meetings of this nature usually have been focused on Gaza, Lebanon, or Iran.
Cooper and Baram visited several IAF bases, including Nevatim in the South, CENTCOM said. In 2023 at Nevatim, The Jerusalem Post watched a joint drill of Israeli F-35s and American F-15s training for striking countries at a distance.
Cooper and Baram discussed countering threats from the Houthis in Yemen and other terrorist organizations in the Middle East. They attended a strategic briefing led by IAF Commander Brig.-Gen. Omer Tishler, the Nevatim base commander, and other senior officers.
Increasing frequency of Houthi fire
On Sunday, the Houthis fired another ballistic missile at Israel, and they have increased the frequency of firing ballistic missiles at Israel for several weeks without any significant breaks.
Many of these attacks have forced millions of Israelis in the Tel Aviv and central regions into bomb shelters and safe rooms. There have been no fatalities from Houthi attacks since last July, but NIS 11 million in damage was caused to a school in the Tel Aviv area. Falling shrapnel after air-defense systems shot down Houthi ballistic missiles caused other damage.
The Houthi attacks have continued even after Israel launched four separate large-scale airstrikes on areas under the terrorist group’s control in Yemen. The IAF struck the Houthis’ main maritime ports multiple times and their international airport on December 25.
Even a CENTCOM strike against a key Houthi installation on December 31 did not stop the missiles being launched at Israel.
So far, the Houthis have launched more than 200 ballistic missiles and close to 200 drones against Israel.
Israel has said it would target Houthi leaders, but that or an end to the missile attacks has not taken place yet. The Mossad and the US are said to be making an effort to improve their intelligence gathering on the Houthis.
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