Pentagon Says US Hit 15 Houthi Targets in Yemen

(AP)

The U.S. military hit 15 Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, the Pentagon said, in an attack on the Iranian terror proxy group’s weapons systems and bases.

In a statement posted on X, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said its forces conducted the strikes around 5 p.m. local time. Targets included “Houthi offensive military capabilities,” according to the post.

“These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more?secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels,” the statement added.

U.S. officials told The Associated Press earlier on Friday that military aircraft and warships had bombed Houthi fortifications at around five locations.

Citing Houthi media, The Hill reported that the strikes hit Yemen’s capital city Sanaa, the airport in Hodeida, the southern part of Dhamar city, and the southeast section of al-Bayda province, which has several Houthi military bases.

While Houthi media reportedly attributed the strikes to a joint U.S.-British operation, the United Kingdom said it was not involved in the military action.

The Houthi rebels have launched a steady barrage of air and sea attacks on international shipping vessels in the Red Sea since last November in solidarity with the Palestinian side of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. The attacks have been met with retaliatory action by the U.S.

Global trade has been disrupted by the Houthi attacks and companies have been forced to use alternative shipping routes in order to safeguard their vessels and cargo.

Earlier this week, the Houthis claimed responsibility for shooting down an American-made MQ-9 Reaper drone flying over Yemen; the Pentagon said it was missing a drone.

The terror group also said it targeted three U.S. ships in the Red Sea. The AP reported that Navy destroyers intercepted two Houthi drones and more than half a dozen missiles, however, and the vessels were not damaged.