1Berita English – The United States and the United Kingdom launched a series of airstrikes against several Houthi militia targets in Yemen on Friday (12/1). The attacks were in response to recent incidents of sabotage and hijacking of commercial ships related to Israel by the Houthi militia in the Red Sea. Explosions were reported in several cities in Yemen shortly after the US-UK attacks.

According to four US officials speaking to Reuters, US and UK forces in the Middle East coordinated to carry out dozens of airstrikes on various Houthi targets in Yemen. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reportedly gave approval for his forces in the Middle East to participate in the attacks against the Houthi.

Shortly after the Reuters report, numerous large explosions were reported in Hodeidah and the capital city, Sana’a. When asked about the potential US attacks on the Houthi in Yemen before the airstrikes, National Security spokesperson John Kirby stated that they wouldn’t signal when the military operation would take place.

“We will not telegraph our punches in any way. We will do what we need to do to counter and defeat the ongoing threats that the Houthi continue to pose to commercial shipping in the Red Sea,” said Kirby.

Meanwhile, a Houthi official, Abdul Qader Al Mortada, mentioned on his X account that the attacks were ongoing in several Yemeni cities early on Friday local time.

“The American-Zionist-British aggression against Yemen launched several attacks in the capital, Sanaa, Hodeidah Governorate, Saada, and Dhamar,” Al-Mortada stated on X.

These US and UK attacks come after the Houthi fired about 21 missiles and drones at several US and Saudi warships in the Red Sea earlier in the week. The airstrikes mark a new escalation in the Hamas vs Israel conflict since October 7, extending to include the Houthi militia.

Following Israel’s attacks on Hamas in Gaza, the Houthi joined in by launching a series of attacks on the Zionist state. Recently, the Houthi intensified their assaults on Israel by targeting and hijacking commercial ships related to Israel passing through the Red Sea. The Houthi stated that these attacks were aimed at defending Palestine, which is facing brutal attacks by Israel.