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British fighter jets joined their US counterparts in airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels overnight, the first military action authorized by the Labor government and the first UK participation in an aggressive American bombing campaign against the group.
RAF Typhoons, refueled by Voyager air tankers, targeted a cluster of buildings 15 miles south of the capital, Sana’a, which the UK said were used by the Houthis to manufacture drones that had targeted shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The British defence secretary, said the attack was launched in response to “a persistent threat from the Houthis to freedom of navigation”. The Iran-backed group has attacked merchant shipping and western warships, leading to a sharp drop in trade flows.
“A 55% drop in shipping through the Red Sea has already cost billions, fueling regional instability and risking economic security for families in the UK,” Healey said in a social media post shortly after midnight.
According to the report, Britain had joined with the US to conduct five rounds of airstrikes against the Houthis between January and May 2024, part of the Operation Poseidon Archer campaign authorized by the Biden administration, but had not been involved in the fresh and more intense US effort until now.
The report said that on 15 March, the Trump administration launched a fresh campaign against the Houthis, Operation Rough Rider. There have been 800 targets struck and it has resulted in the deaths of “hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders”, according to the US military’s central command. There have also been reports of higher civilian casualties. It was learned that there were 80 civilians died during the attack.
In addition, one of the reasons the UK had decided to attack the Houthis was to show support for Washington, Healey said. “The US continues to be the UK’s closest security ally. They’re stepping up in the Red Sea. We are alongside them.”
There was little immediate comment from the US. Its defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, has said the American military must emphasize “lethality, lethality, lethality” and has cut programmes intended to minimize civilian harm. The Houthis are targeting shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in support of Hamas and the Palestinians in Gaza, the subject of a renewed offensive by Israel.
Source: The Guardian
RAF Typhoons, refueled by Voyager air tankers, targeted a cluster of buildings 15 miles south of the capital, Sana’a, which the UK said were used by the Houthis to manufacture drones that had targeted shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The British defence secretary, said the attack was launched in response to “a persistent threat from the Houthis to freedom of navigation”. The Iran-backed group has attacked merchant shipping and western warships, leading to a sharp drop in trade flows.
“A 55% drop in shipping through the Red Sea has already cost billions, fueling regional instability and risking economic security for families in the UK,” Healey said in a social media post shortly after midnight.
According to the report, Britain had joined with the US to conduct five rounds of airstrikes against the Houthis between January and May 2024, part of the Operation Poseidon Archer campaign authorized by the Biden administration, but had not been involved in the fresh and more intense US effort until now.
The report said that on 15 March, the Trump administration launched a fresh campaign against the Houthis, Operation Rough Rider. There have been 800 targets struck and it has resulted in the deaths of “hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders”, according to the US military’s central command. There have also been reports of higher civilian casualties. It was learned that there were 80 civilians died during the attack.
In addition, one of the reasons the UK had decided to attack the Houthis was to show support for Washington, Healey said. “The US continues to be the UK’s closest security ally. They’re stepping up in the Red Sea. We are alongside them.”
There was little immediate comment from the US. Its defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, has said the American military must emphasize “lethality, lethality, lethality” and has cut programmes intended to minimize civilian harm. The Houthis are targeting shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in support of Hamas and the Palestinians in Gaza, the subject of a renewed offensive by Israel.
Source: The Guardian
