INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
and British militaries were bombing more than a dozen sites used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on Thursday, in a massive
retaliatory strike using warship-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets, several U.S
officials told The Associated Press
The military targets included logistical hubs, air defense systems and weapons storage and launching locations, they said.Associated Press
Two residents of Hodieda, Amin Ali Saleh and Hani Ahmed, said they heard five strong explosions hitting the western port area of the city,
which lies on the Red Sea and is the largest port city controlled by the Houthis
Explosions also were heard by residents of Taiz, a southwestern city near the Red Sea.The strikes marked the first U.S
military response to what has been a persistent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships since the start of the
And the coordinated military assault comes just a week after the White House and a host of partner nations issued a final warning to the
Houthis to cease the attacks or face potential military action
The officials confirmed the strikes on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations
Members of Congress were briefed earlier Thursday on the strike plans.The warning appeared to have had at least some short-lived impact, as
attacks stopped for several days
On Tuesday, however, the Houthi rebels fired their largest-ever barrage of drones and missiles targeting shipping in the Red Sea, with U.S
and British ships and American fighter jets responding by shooting down 18 drones, two cruise missiles and an anti-ship missile
And on Thursday, the Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into the Gulf of Aden, which was seen by a commercial ship but did not hit
the ship.The rebels, who have carried out 27 attacks involving dozens of drones and missiles just since Nov
But their targets increasingly have little or no connection to Israel and imperil a crucial trade route linking Asia and the Middle East
with Europe.Meanwhile, the U.N
Security Council passed a resolution Wednesday that demanded the Houthis immediately cease the attacks and implicitly condemned their
More than 20 nations are already participating in a U.S.-led maritime mission to increase ship protection in the Red Sea.U.S
officials for weeks had declined to signal when international patience would run out and they would strike back at the Houthis, even as
multiple commercial vessels were struck by missiles and drones, prompting companies to look at rerouting their ships.On Wednesday, however,
told reporters during a stop in Bahrain
sensitivities and stemmed largely from broader worries about upending the shaky truce in Yemen and triggering a wider conflict in the region
The White House wants to preserve the truce and has been wary of taking action in Yemen that could open up another war front.The impact on
international shipping and the escalating attacks, however, triggered the coalition warning, which was signed by the United States,
Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom
called on the United Nations Security Council to take action against the Houthis and warned their financier Iran that it has a choice to
make about continuing to provide support to the rebels.Transit through the Red Sea, from the Suez Canal to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, is a
crucial shipping lane for global commerce
gas, grain and everything from toys to electronics.In response to the attacks, the U.S
created a new maritime security mission, dubbed Operation Prosperity Guardian, to increase security in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait and
the Gulf of Aden, with about 22 countries are participating
warships, and those from other nations, have been routinely sailing back and forth through the narrow strait to provide protection for ships
The coalition has also ramped up airborne surveillance.The decision to set up the expanded patrol operation came after three commercial
vessels were struck by missiles fired by Houthis in Yemen on Dec
3.The Pentagon increased its military presence in the region after the Oct
7 Hamas attacks in Israel to deter Iran from widening the war into a regional conflict, including by the Houthis and Iran-backed militias in
Iraq and Syria.Source: AP--Agencies
