US, UK Strike Houthis In Yemen, Biden Says 'Won't Hesitate' To Do More; Rebel Group Claims 5 Killed

Militaries of the US and UK launched massive retaliatory strikes using warship-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on Thursday. The strikes mark the first US military response against the Houthis since they started targeting international shipping in the Red Sea late last year.

Yemeni rebel Houthi officials said US-led strikes on Yemen killed at least five people, wounded six and won't go 'unanswered', The Associated Press reported. The military targets included logistical hubs, air defence systems and weapons storage locations.

The Houthis said at least five sites including airfields had been attacked. Hussein al-Ezzi, a Houthi official in their Foreign Ministry, acknowledged “a massive aggressive attack by American and British ships, submarines and warplanes."

The White House released US President Joe Biden's statement where he said these strikes are in "direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea—including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history." 

"These attacks have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized trade, and threatened freedom of navigation, Biden said. 

The airstrikes also come right after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Thursday completed a multi-nation Middle East trip, aimed at getting support for more aggressive action toward the Houthis.

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Notably, last week the White House and a host of partner nations issued a final warning to the Houthis to cease the attacks or face potential military action.

While the attacks had stopped for several days after the warning, the Houthi rebels on Tuesday fired their largest-ever barrage of drones and missiles targeting shipping in the Red Sea, with US and British ships and American fighter jets responding by shooting down 18 drones, two cruise missiles and an anti-ship missile.

On Thursday, the Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into the Gulf of Aden, which was seen by a commercial ship but did not hit the ship. 

Houthi Attack On The Red Sea    

The Iran-backed Houthis, who have been engaged in a civil war with Yemen's internationally recognised government since 2014, have said they launched the attacks intending to end Israel's air-and-ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. Houthis have claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on vessels and cargo ships travelling through the Red Sea, belonging to what they call the countries having an “Israel link”.

The Houthi rebels have carried out 27 attacks involving dozens of drones and missiles just since November 19.

On Thursday, the rebels said that any attack by American forces on its sites in Yemen would spark a fierce military response. 

What Biden Said On The Strikes

The White House has issued US President Joe Biden's statement where he said, "Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces—together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands—successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways."

Biden said that more than 50 nations have been affected in the 27 attacks on international commercial shipping. "Crews from more than 20 countries have been threatened or taken hostage in acts of piracy.  More than 2,000 ships have been forced to divert thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea—which can cause weeks of delays in product shipping times. And on January 9, Houthis launched their largest attack to date—directly targeting American ships," Biden's statement read.

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Today’s defensive action follows this extensive diplomatic campaign and Houthi rebels’ escalating attacks against commercial vessels, the statement read, adding that these targeted strikes are a "clear message" that the United States and its partners will not tolerate attacks on their personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes.

"I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary," Biden said.