US and Britain strike Houthi rebel targets in Yemen after surge in shipping attacks

By Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press on May 30, 2024.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. and Britain struck 13 Houthi targets in several locations in Yemen on Thursday in response to a recent surge in attacks by the Iran-backed militia group on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, three U.S. officials said.

According to the officials, American and British fighter jets and U.S. ships hit a wide range of underground facilities, missile launchers, command and control sites, a Houthi vessel and other facilities. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to provide early details of an ongoing military operation.

Also struck were eight uncrewed aerial vehicles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen that were determined to be presenting a threat to U.S. and coalition forces.

The strikes come a day after a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone went down in Yemen, and the Houthis released footage they said showed the aircraft being targeted with a surface-to-air missile in a desert region of Yemen’s central Marib province. It marked the third such downing this month alone.

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