US, UK bomb Houthi sites in Yemen amid surge in Red Sea ship attacks

US and UK forces hit 18 Houthi targets including underground weapons and missile storage facilities, officials say.

The United States and the United Kingdom have bombed more than a dozen Houthi sites in Yemen, officials said, as the Yemeni rebel group stepped up its attacks on ships in the Red Sea in protest against Israel’s war on Gaza.

In a joint statement on Saturday, the US and UK said their military action targeted 18 Houthi sites across eight locations in Yemen, and included attacks on underground weapons and missile storage facilities, air defence systems, radars and a helicopter.

The operation marked the fourth time that the US and UK militaries have carried out joint attacks against the Houthis since January 12.

Apart from the joint action, the US has also been carrying out almost daily raids to take out Houthi targets, including incoming missiles, rockets and drones targeting commercial and other Navy vessels.

The raids, however, have so far failed to halt the Houthis’ attacks, which have upset global trade and raised shipping rates.