(VOVWORLD) - The United States and Britain launched strikes from the air and sea against Houthi military targets in Yemen in response to the movement's attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
 A missile is launched from a warship during the US-led coalition operation against military targets in Yemen, aimed at the Houthi militia that has been targeting international shipping in the Red Sea, from an undisclosed location, in this handout picture released on January 12, 2024. (Photo: Reuters) |
The United States and Britain launched strikes from the air and sea against Houthi military targets in Yemen in response to the movement's attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
President Joe Biden said in a statement late on Thursday 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.
The Houthis said five of their fighters had been killed in a total of 73 air strikes and said they would retaliate for the strikes and continue their attacks on shipping, which they describe as intended to support Palestinians against Israel.
A US official said more than a dozen locations were targeted in strikes that were not just symbolic but intended to weaken the Houthis' military capabilities.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the strikes targeted Houthi capabilities including drones, ballistic and cruise missiles, costal radar and air surveillance.
John Kirby, US National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said transit in the Red Sea is more dangerous now than it was before because of these Houthi attacks on commercial shipping.
"We don't want to see these attacks on commercial shipping, and we're going to do what we have to do to counter and defend against those attacks. And as I said earlier, the Houthi - they have made certain decisions up to this time. They have to make certain decisions going forward."
"And we'll see what decisions they make. They will bear the consequences for those decisions going forward," he added.
The US said Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands supported the operation, and sought to present the strikes as part of an international effort to restore the free flow of trade in a key route between Europe and Asia that accounts for about 15% of the world's shipping traffic.