British and US Air Forces Launch Joint Airstrike on Houthi Positions
In a nighttime operation on Monday, the British and American air forces once again targeted positions held by the Houthis. This coordinated action received support from Australia, Canada, Bahrain, and the Netherlands.
A new war erupted in the Gaza Strip following the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas. Thousands have died in the brutal onslaught and the ensuing Israeli counterstrikes. Hamas has taken more than two hundred civilians hostage, demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange. Our article series will continue to follow developments including prisoner exchanges, ceasefire agreements, and other aspects of the conflict.
The Ministry of Defence in London announced late Monday night that the British and American air forces carried out a new joint operation against military installations of the Houthi rebels in Yemen. A more detailed joint statement, issued on Tuesday morning by the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, and Bahrain, indicated that the airstrikes targeted eight specific sites.
British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, in a separately issued personal briefing, described the action as a self-defensive measure. According to Shapps, the repeated Houthi attacks against Red Sea shipping continue to endanger the lives of crew members and impede marine traffic, resulting in intolerable costs to the global economy.
The joint initiative further depleted the Houthis’ already limited weaponry and their ability to threaten global trade, as stated in the British Defence Minister's communique. According to information detailed by the London defence department, the Royal Air Force (RAF) participated in the airstrike with four Typhoon FGR4 fighter jets and two Voyager aerial refueling aircraft. The British aircraft employed Paveway IV precision-guided bombs to strike two Houthi military installations near Sanaa airport in Yemen.
The Pentagon reported that American fighter jets launched from the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier.
The British Ministry of Defence stressed that the planning of the airstrikes was complemented by rigorous analysis to minimize risks to the civilian population and that these risks were further reduced by conducting operations at night.
The joint statement from the British, American, Dutch, Australian, Canadian, and Bahraini governments early Tuesday morning confirmed that the action had a total of eight targets; these primarily included "underground storage facilities and other military installations related to the Houthi’s missile attack and aerial reconnaissance capabilities."
The briefing from the London defence department also mentioned that Australia, Canada, Bahrain, and the Netherlands provided support for the Monday night British-American operation, but the specifics of this assistance were not detailed.
The statement noted that the Houthis have carried out "more than thirty" attacks against international shipping off the Yemeni coast since November.
Shortly before the details of the action were released, Downing Street announced that British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden had a telephone conversation, agreeing to continue their efforts with international partners to prevent the Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping and deter the attackers.
The last joint attack by British and American air forces on Houthi military installations in Yemen took place on January 11.
Preceding the joint British-American operations, the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched several drone and missile attacks against commercial and military vessels traveling through the Red Sea allegedly targeting or defending Israel since Israel began operations to dismantle the military and political machinery of Hamas, the Islamist terrorist organization that controls the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli operations started after Hamas carried out an unprecedented terror attack on October 7 last year in the southern region of Israel, which resulted in the death of 1,200 people and injuries to 3,000 others.
The Ministry of Defence in London announced late Monday night that the British and American air forces carried out a new joint operation against military installations of the Houthi rebels in Yemen. A more detailed joint statement, issued on Tuesday morning by the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, and Bahrain, indicated that the airstrikes targeted eight specific sites.
British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, in a separately issued personal briefing, described the action as a self-defensive measure. According to Shapps, the repeated Houthi attacks against Red Sea shipping continue to endanger the lives of crew members and impede marine traffic, resulting in intolerable costs to the global economy.
The joint initiative further depleted the Houthis’ already limited weaponry and their ability to threaten global trade, as stated in the British Defence Minister's communique. According to information detailed by the London defence department, the Royal Air Force (RAF) participated in the airstrike with four Typhoon FGR4 fighter jets and two Voyager aerial refueling aircraft. The British aircraft employed Paveway IV precision-guided bombs to strike two Houthi military installations near Sanaa airport in Yemen.
The Pentagon reported that American fighter jets launched from the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier.
The British Ministry of Defence stressed that the planning of the airstrikes was complemented by rigorous analysis to minimize risks to the civilian population and that these risks were further reduced by conducting operations at night.
The joint statement from the British, American, Dutch, Australian, Canadian, and Bahraini governments early Tuesday morning confirmed that the action had a total of eight targets; these primarily included "underground storage facilities and other military installations related to the Houthi’s missile attack and aerial reconnaissance capabilities."
The briefing from the London defence department also mentioned that Australia, Canada, Bahrain, and the Netherlands provided support for the Monday night British-American operation, but the specifics of this assistance were not detailed.
The statement noted that the Houthis have carried out "more than thirty" attacks against international shipping off the Yemeni coast since November.
Shortly before the details of the action were released, Downing Street announced that British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden had a telephone conversation, agreeing to continue their efforts with international partners to prevent the Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping and deter the attackers.
The last joint attack by British and American air forces on Houthi military installations in Yemen took place on January 11.
Preceding the joint British-American operations, the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched several drone and missile attacks against commercial and military vessels traveling through the Red Sea allegedly targeting or defending Israel since Israel began operations to dismantle the military and political machinery of Hamas, the Islamist terrorist organization that controls the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli operations started after Hamas carried out an unprecedented terror attack on October 7 last year in the southern region of Israel, which resulted in the death of 1,200 people and injuries to 3,000 others.
