US, British Forces Launch Fresh Airstrikes on Yemen
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The US and Britain carried out a series of combined air- and sea-launched strikes in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, and various regions across the Arab country.
The strikes come as Yemeni forces initiated retaliatory actions in the Red Sea, expressing solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israeli offensive against Gaza.
Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen television, citing anonymous local sources, reported that US and British military aircraft targeted at least 35 locations in Yemen on Saturday. Faj Attan, al-Nahdin, and al-Hafa neighborhoods in Sana’a were the primary focus of the joint strikes, resulting in significant explosions witnessed by locals.
In Yemen's southwestern province of Ta'iz, at least 11 air raids struck areas in the Maqbanah and Hayfan districts, with no immediate reports on casualties or damage. Three strikes targeted al-Lahiya and As Salif districts in the strategic western province of Hudaydah, while seven raids were reported in the al-Jar area in the Abs district of the northwestern province of Hajjah.
Reports also indicated US and British warplanes launching airstrikes in Yemen's western province of Dhamar and the central province of al-Bayda. The extent of damage and casualties from these attacks remains unconfirmed.
Yemenis have openly declared support for Palestine in the face of Israeli aggression since the regime initiated a war on Gaza on October 7.
The United States and the United Kingdom intensified their strikes after the Biden administration and its allies unequivocally supported the Tel Aviv regime. The allies asserted that Yemeni forces would face consequences for their attacks on Israeli-owned ships or vessels heading to the occupied territories.
The Yemeni Armed Forces, vowing to continue their attacks, stated they would not cease until Israeli ground and aerial offensives in Gaza end. The Gaza conflict has claimed the lives of at least 27,131 people and left 66,287 individuals wounded.
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, leader of the Ansarullah resistance movement of Yemen, emphasized the significance of confronting the United States directly, calling it "a great honor and blessing."
The airstrikes have prompted major shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through crucial maritime trade routes. Tankers are now taking longer routes around the continent of Africa, bypassing the Suez Canal, to navigate the challenges posed by the ongoing conflict.