The U.S. and United Kingdom conducted large-scale strikes on Houthi terrorist targets in Yemen on Monday, Politico reported, citing a U.S. and a U.K. official.
The U.S. has launched several rounds of pre-emptive strikes on a handful of Houthi missiles prepared to launch at commercial shipping in the Red Sea since the U.S. and U.K. first carried out a sweeping bombardment of Houthi targets on Jan. 11. But strikes have failed to deter the Houthis, who have since doubled down on their pledge to attack commercial shipping and U.S. Navy ships in the region, according to Politico.
Few additional details about the strikes were immediately available, and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. (RELATED: Navy Identifies SEALs Lost During Search And Seizure Mission Near Somalia)
Local media outlets reported explosions and published purported video footage of strikes in Houthi-controlled Yemen, including in the capital city of Sana’a.
F/A-18 aircraft from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier operating in the Red Sea and Tomahawk missiles fired from U.S. warships struck multiple locations in Yemen, Fox News reported. Less than 10 targets were struck and the military is carrying out a bomb damage assessment.
On Jan. 11 at 2:30 a.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command forces, in coordination with the United Kingdom, and support from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Bahrain conducted joint strikes on Houthi targets to degrade their capability to continue their illegal and… pic.twitter.com/bR8biMolSx
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 12, 2024
The U.S. and U.K., with non-operational support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands, targeted Houthi drone, ballistic and cruise missile, and coastal radar and air surveillance capabilities for the first time on Jan. 11.
U.S. aircraft, warships and one submarine fired 150 of various kinds of munitions at dozens of targets in 28 locations, Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, who heads the Joint Staff’s operations directorate, said on a call with reporters earlier Friday. After striking more than 60 targets, including radars, missile launch sites and storage facilities, munitions depots and other targets at 16 locations, the U.S. conducted a second round of strikes on 12 more targets, Sims said.
He predicted the Houthis would retaliate.
The Pentagon has declined to provide an assessment of the damage, citing operational security and intelligence concerns, Sims said immediately after the strikes he was fairly confident the strikes impeded the Houthis’ ability to carry out attacks.
Military officials expected the Houthis to conduct retaliatory attacks against shipping and possibly U.S. vessels but said their ability to execute complex operations was likely degraded.
“I don’t believe that they would be able to execute the same way they did the other day,” Sims said, referring to a Jan. 9 incident involving multiple U.S. warships downing 24 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles in a single attack. “But, we will see,” he added.
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