US Strikes 1,000 Houthi Targets in Yemen in Under Two Months
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U.S. Military Strikes in Yemen Exceed 1,000 Since March
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon announced Tuesday that the United States military has conducted over 1,000 strikes in Yemen since a new, intensified air campaign against Houthi rebels began in mid-March.
The U.S. military offensive is a response to attacks by the Houthi rebels, also known as ansar Allah, against Israel and ships in the Red Sea.
Since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have launched dozens of rockets at various vessels in the region, posing a significant threat to one of the world’s busiest trade routes.
Joint U.S.-British Operations Target Houthi Drone Capabilities
Following the Pentagon’s declaration, the British Ministry of Defense stated early Wednesday that British and American forces conducted a joint military operation in Yemen on Tuesday.
According to the British statement, the Royal Air Force targeted facilities approximately 25 kilometers south of Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, which the Houthis were using to manufacture drones.
The United Kingdom has participated in joint strikes with the United States against Houthi targets since the beginning of 2024.
Pentagon Claims Success in Degrading Houthi Capabilities
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Tuesday that U.S. central Command strikes “have achieved more then 1,000 objectives, have killed houthi combatants and leaders, and have reduced their capabilities.”
The statement coincided with the first 100 days of the Department of Defense under President Donald Trump’s second term.
President Trump vowed last month to “fully destroy” the Houthis and threatened to attack Iran, an ally of the Yemeni insurgents, if maritime attacks do not cease.
The military operation, dubbed “Operation Rough Rider,” has targeted command and control centers, air defense systems, and storage and weapons production sites, in addition to fuel supplies.
U.S. forces involved include the USS Harry S. Truman and USS Carl Vinson carrier strike groups.
According to an AFP count based on Houthi statements, U.S.air attacks from March 15 to last Sunday have killed at least 258 people.
The Associated press has not independently verified the number of casualties.
Reports of Civilian Casualties Emerge
Houthi-affiliated media reported Tuesday that 68 people were killed in a U.S. air strike against a detention center in northwestern Yemen.
A U.N. spokesman indicated that initial reports suggest the victims were migrants.
In response to an AFP query, U.S. Central Command stated it was “aware of the complaints of civil victims related to US attacks in Yemen” and that “these denunciations are taken” seriously.
“The damage is being evaluated and an investigation has been opened,” the statement added.
Houthi-directed television channel Al Masirah broadcast images of the aftermath of an air strike in Saada, located on a route used by African migrants crossing Yemen to reach Saudi Arabia.
The images included a video of an oil ship burning after a U.S. air strike on the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Isa in Hodeida, as well as bodies covered in dust and blood amidst rubble.
Survivors interviewed by yemeni television in the hospital described experiencing the impact of an explosion at dawn. One survivor said the force of the explosion threw him violently to the ground.
houthi Attacks Disrupt Global Shipping
houthi attacks have disrupted maritime transport through the Suez Canal, a critical route for approximately 12% of global maritime trade.
This disruption has forced several companies to use more expensive alternative routes around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
The Houthis are part of Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance” against Israel and the United States.
While the Houthis have attacked vessels crossing the Suez Canal for some time, they have intensified their actions in the past year, describing them as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.
The air campaign against the Houthis began in January 2024 under the Biden administration.
After taking office in January, Trump redesignated the Houthis as a “foreign terrorist organization,” reversing a decision by the Biden administration that had cited the need to mitigate the country’s humanitarian crisis.
Yemen has been devastated by a civil war that intensified in 2015 when the Houthis seized control of the country from the internationally recognized government, prompting a Saudi Arabia-led coalition, with U.S. support, to intervene.
Reports indicate that the fighting has resulted in more than 150,000 deaths and a humanitarian catastrophe, with
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U.S. Military Strikes in Yemen: Your Questions Answered
What is the current state of U.S. military involvement in Yemen?
the U.S. military has considerably intensified its air campaign in Yemen. Since mid-March, the Pentagon announced that over 1,000 strikes have been conducted against Houthi rebels. This escalated activity is a response to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and ongoing regional tensions.
Why is the U.S. conducting these strikes in Yemen?
The primary reason for the U.S.military strikes in Yemen