AL-MUKALLA: The US and UK military on Thursday attacked Houthi targets in Yemen’s western province of Hodeidah for a second time in 24 hours.
The Houthi-run Al-Masirah said “reconnaissance” aircraft carried out two strikes on the Al-Jabanah area of Hodeidah. It did not name specific sites or say if there were any casualties or damage to property.
The attacks came a day after US and UK forces targeted Houthi sites in Taiz province.
The US Central Command said on Thursday morning that its forces had destroyed two Houthi drones, a ground control station and three anti-ship cruise missiles in areas controlled by the militia. It added that Houthi weapons posed a threat to US-led marine coalition ships as well as other naval and commercial vessels in international waters.
“This reckless and dangerous behavior by Iranian-backed Houthis continues to threaten regional stability and security,” it said.
In response to the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and other waterways in the region that began in November, the US formed a coalition of marine task forces to protect vessels. It also designated the Houthis as a terrorist organization and launched strikes on Sanaa, Hodeidah, Saada and other areas held by the group, targeting missile and drone launchers, drone boats preparing to launch and other locations.
The Houthis have disregarded the strikes and international demands for de-escalation in the Red Sea, extending their campaign to the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean and pledging to continue assaulting ships until Israel ends its war in the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said militia forces fired drones and ballistic missiles at the US Navy destroyers USS Cole and USS Laboon in the Gulf of Aden and attacked the merchant vessel Contship Ono with ballistic missiles and drones.
According to the Marinetraffic website, the Contship Ono is a container ship that was traveling under the Liberian flag in the Red Sea on Thursday after arriving at Jeddah Port. The Houthis claimed it was targeted because its parent company allowed its vessels to sail to Israeli ports.
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