The armies of the United States and the United Kingdom bombed this Thursday more than a dozen sites used by the Houthis backed by Iran in Yemen, in a massive retaliatory strike using Tomahawk missiles launched from warships and fighter jets, several U.S. officials told The Associated Press. Military targets included logistics centers, air defense systems and weapons storage sites, they said.
The attacks marked the first US military response against the Houthis so there has been a persistent campaign of drone and missile attacks against commercial ships since the start of the war in Israel. And the coordinated military attack comes just a week after the White House and a number of partner countries issued a final warning to the Houthis to cease attacks or face possible military action. The officials confirmed the attacks on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.
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The warning appeared to have had at least some short-lived impact, as the attacks ceased for several days. On Tuesday, however, the Houthi rebels fired their largest barrage of drones and missiles at ships in the Red Sea, and American and British ships and American fighter jets responded by shooting down 18 drones, two cruise missiles, and one anti-ship missile. And on Thursday, the Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile toward the Gulf of Adenwhich was spotted by a commercial ship but did not reach the ship.
The rebels, who have carried out 27 attacks with dozens of drones and missiles since Nov. 19, said Thursday that any attack by U.S. forces on their sites in Yemen would provoke a fierce military response.
