At least 16 dead in joint US-British attack in Yemen; Houthis claim responsibility for attack on aircraft carrier

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday that the attacks were carried out in “self-defense” and aimed to “further weaken the Houthis’ military capabilities and prevent further attacks on international shipping.”

A statement from the US Central Command said the strikes destroyed eight Houthi unmanned vehicles and hit 13 other targets in Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen. The British Ministry of Defence said the strikes hit buildings near Hodeida and other targets in the south of the country.

The buildings hit were found to house “ground control facilities for drones and storage facilities for very long-range drones and surface-to-air weapons,” the British statement said.

In response to the attacks, the Houthis threatened on Friday to expand their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

A satellite news channel run by the Houthis showed images of the aftermath of the attacks. In one video, the body of a man, covered in blood and dust, is carried out of a destroyed building onto a dark street. In another, injured men are seen receiving treatment in a medical ward. The outlet described those killed as civilians. The Washington Post could not immediately confirm the claims.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, said the attacks hit targets in the capital Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah, and one of them hit a radio building.

“This is a clear attack on civilian structures, a blatant violation of all international law and a full-blown war crime,” Saree said.

According to Saree, the Houthis responded with a major attack on the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea. The attack was “a response to crimes and part of the response to US-British aggression,” he said in a televised statement. He described the Houthis’ retaliation as a “precise and direct” strike.

The Houthis had claimed responsibility for attacks on the aircraft carrier in the past, but the Pentagon later denied these. A US defense official said on Friday that there were no reports of an attack on the Eisenhower.

“The attacks were planned with the utmost care to minimise any risk to civilians or non-military infrastructure,” the British Ministry of Defence said in its statement on the attacks. “Carrying out the attacks during the hours of darkness should have reduced this risk even further.”

Thursday’s attack appears to be one of the largest attacks by US and British forces since the campaign against the Houthis began in January, but US-led forces have been carrying out almost daily attacks against the group. Despite the extensive, ongoing military operations, the Houthis’ attacks appear to be continuing unabated.

The group began attacking ships last year in response to the war in Gaza. Houthi leaders said the attacks were carried out in solidarity with the Palestinian people and would stop once Israel ended its war against Hamas in Gaza.

The Houthis are an Iranian-backed Yemeni rebel group that overthrew the country’s government and survived years of bombing by Saudi Arabia. The group now controls large parts of the country, including the capital and the strategically important port of Hodeidah on the Red Sea.

In recent weeks, Houthis have increased their attacks in the Red Sea. A Greek ship flying the Marshall Islands flag was attacked with missiles earlier this week. This week, the Houthis also claimed that a US drone was shot down over Yemen. Ships have been damaged and crew members killed in the Houthis’ attacks.

US and British officials have said operations in the Red Sea will continue until the Houthis are deterred from further attacks on commercial shipping.