The UK has carried out its first attack on a Houthi target in Yemen since Donald Trump’s re-election. The Ministry of Defence confirmed the strikes took place on Tuesday in response to Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Precise intelligence identified a cluster of buildings used by the Houthis to manufacture drones, located 15 miles south of the capital Sanaa. RAF Typhoon FGR4s, supported by Voyager tankers, carried out strikes on the buildings using Paveway IV precision-guided bombs. The operation was conducted after dark to minimize civilian presence, and all aircraft safely returned.
Defense Secretary John Healey stated that the government will always act in the interest of national and economic security. The strikes, supported by the US, aimed to degrade Houthi capabilities and prevent further attacks on UK and international shipping. Healey also emphasized that the Houthis’ activities in the Red Sea pose a persistent threat to the freedom of navigation, with a 55% drop in shipping already costing billions and fueling regional instability.
The decision to intensify strikes on the Iran-backed Houthis comes after they began attacking shipping routes in November 2023, expressing solidarity with Palestinians during Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Houthi rebels released footage showing people being pulled from rubble, claiming a US airstrike killed 68 people at a detention center for African migrants in Yemen.
Source: https://news.sky.com/story/uk-joins-us-in-strike-on-houthi-target-in-yemen-for-first-time-since-donald-trump-re-elected-13358440
