Houthi rebels vow retaliation after U.S.-led strikes in Yemen
The U.S. and Britain launched military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, two U.S. officials said yesterday. They targeted multiple 16 locations with fighter jets and Tomahawks fired from Navy ships, and used over 100 “precision-guided munitions of various types.”
President Joe Biden said that the strikes, which were supported by Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands, targeted areas used by Houthi rebels to “endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways.” Biden warned in remarks later Thursday that he would “not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”
The strikes killed at least five Houthi militants and injured six others, the rebels said today, adding the attacks will not go “unanswered and unpunished.”
The Houthis, an Iran-backed group which rose to power in 2011, pledged support for Palestine after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and began attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea, causing businesses to lose hundreds of billions in trade.
The attacks in Yemen, and the Houthi vow of retaliation, raise the risk of broader regional conflict with Iran-backed groups.
Source: NBC News
