US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Tuesday that its warships and planes launched a series of strikes against Yemen, targeting the capital, Sanaa, and coastal areas.
According to Al Mayadeen, at least eight US strikes hit Sanaa, and targets included buildings used by Yemen’s Defense Ministry. It’s unclear if there were any casualties in the attacks.
CENTCOM said the strikes took place on Monday and Tuesday and claimed it hit a “Houthi command and control facility and advanced conventional weapon (ACW) production and storage facilities that included missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV).”
In addition, CENTCOM said its forces “destroyed a Houthi coastal radar site and seven cruise missiles and one-way attack UAVs over the Red Sea.”
The strikes come as it’s been nearly one year since President Biden started the bombing campaign against the Houthis, which he launched to defend Israeli shipping. Hundreds of US and British missile strikes have done nothing to deter the Houthis, who started targeting Israel and Israeli-linked shipping in response to the onslaught in Gaza.
After the fresh US strikes, the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, vowed they won’t back down. “The US aggression on Yemen is a blatant violation of the sovereignty of an independent state, and blatant support for Israel to encourage it to continue its crimes of genocide against the people of Gaza,” said Ansar Allah spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam, according to The Cradle.
“We affirm that Yemen, with its great sacrifices, continues to defend itself in the face of any aggression and that it is steadfast in its position supporting Gaza,” Abdulsalam added.
In recent weeks, the Houthis have been able to get missiles past Israeli air defense systems, Israel has increased its attacks on Yemen, and Israeli officials are threatening further escalation.
From 2015-2022, the US supported a Saudi/UAE war against the Houthis, which involved heavy airstrikes, a ground campaign, and a blockade, and the Houthis only became a more capable fighting force during that time.
According to the UN, the war killed at least 377,000 people, with more than half dying of starvation and disease caused by the siege. A ceasefire between the Houthis and Saudis has held relatively well since April 2022, but new US sanctions are blocking the implementation of a lasting peace deal.
