US And UK militaries strike Houthi targets in Yemen 

Forces of the UK and US have struck Houthi targets in Yemen in the fifth combined operation since January. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed strikes took place against the Houthis on Friday as part of a response to Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The MoD said that intelligence had confirmed two locations near Hudaydah as being involved with the anti-shipping attacks, with buildings identified as housing drone ground control facilities and providing storage for very long-range drones.

Surface-to-air weapons used to impede coalition operations to safeguard shipping in the region were also believed to be on-site. A set of Houthi facilities at Ghulayfiqah, further south on the Yemeni coast, were also identified as being involved in the command and control of the group’s anti-shipping campaign.

This is the fifth time the US and UK militaries have conducted a combined operation against the Houthis since January 12. The Houthis, in recent months, have stepped up attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, demanding that Israel end the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians.

The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on 7th October, killing about 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the US Maritime Administration. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat.