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UK, US Launch Airstrikes on Houthis 04/30 06:01
The British military launched airstrikes with the United States targeting
Yemen's Houthi rebels, officials said early Wednesday, their first attack in
Washington's new intense campaign targeting the Iran-backed group.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- The British military launched airstrikes
with the United States targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels, officials said early
Wednesday, their first attack in Washington's new intense campaign targeting
the Iran-backed group.
The United Kingdom offered a detailed explanation for launching the strike,
in a departure from the U.S., which has offered few details about the more than
800 strikes it has conducted since beginning its campaign on March 15.
The campaign, called "Operation Rough Rider," has been targeting the rebels
as the Trump administration negotiates with their main benefactor, Iran, over
Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.
UK strike hits near Yemen's capital
The U.K. Defense Ministry described the site attacked as "a cluster of
buildings, used by the Houthis to manufacture drones of the type used to attack
ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, located some 15 miles (25 kilometers)
south of Sanaa."
Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s took part in the raid, dropping Paveway IV
guided bombs, the ministry added.
"The strike was conducted after dark, when the likelihood of any civilians
being in the area was reduced yet further," the ministry said.
The British offered no information on the damage done in the strike, nor
whether they believed anyone had been killed. The U.S. military's Central
Command didn't acknowledge the strike.
"This action was taken in response to a persistent threat from the Houthis
to freedom of navigation," U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said. "A 55% drop
in shipping through the Red Sea has already cost billions, fueling regional
instability and risking economic security for families in the U.K."
The Houthis reported several strikes around Yemen's capital, Sanaa, which
the group has held since 2014. Other strikes hit around Saada.
The British have taken part in airstrikes alongside the U.S. since the Biden
administration began its campaign of strikes targeting the Houthis back in
January 2024. However, this new strike is the first to see the British involved
in the campaign under U.S. President Donald Trump.
UK strike comes after US allegedly hit prison
The joint U.K.-U.S. strike follows an alleged U.S. airstrike on Monday that
hit a prison holding African migrants, killing at least 68 people and wounding
47 others. The U.S. military said it was investigating.
On April 18, an American strike on the Ras Isa fuel port killed at least 74
people and wounded 171 others in the deadliest-known attack of the U.S.
campaign.
The U.S. is conducting strikes on Yemen from its two aircraft carriers in
the region -- the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea and the USS Carl Vinson in
the Arabian Sea, targeting the Houthis because of the group's attacks on
shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route, and on Israel.
The Houthis are the last militant group in Iran's self-described "Axis of
Resistance" that is capable of regularly attacking Israel. The rebels began
their attacks over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli
decision to block the flow of aid to Palestinians.
The American strikes have drawn controversy in the United States over
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's use of the unclassified Signal messaging app
to post sensitive details about the attacks.
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