US and the UK forces carried out several air strikes inside Yemen early on Friday, January 12. According to a statement issued by the US Central Command (Centcom), the attacks were carried out around 2:30 am local time targeting “radar systems, air defense systems, and storage and launch sites” inside Yemen.
According to the Pentagon, altogether a total of 12 sites were targeted in different parts of Yemen by a combination of warplanes, cruise missiles, and submarines.
There have been no reports of casualties and the nature of destruction caused by the strikes is unclear.
According to Yemen’s official news agency Saba, “the American and British aggression launched raids on the capital Sanaa and [various locations] in the provinces of Hodeidah, Saada, and Dhamar.”
The Centcom statement also claimed that the attacks were a “multinational action” carried out in collaboration with Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Bahrain, apart from the UK, with the objective to “degrade [Houthi] capability to continue their illegal and reckless attacks on the US and international vessels and commercial shipping in the Red Sea.”
On Jan. 11 at 2:30 a.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command forces, in coordination with the United Kingdom, and support from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Bahrain conducted joint strikes on Houthi targets to degrade their capability to continue their illegal and… pic.twitter.com/bR8biMolSx
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 12, 2024
The statement claimed that the Houthis have been responsible for attacking ships and containers in the Red Sea at least 27 times since October 17. However, the statement also claims that strikes on Friday “have no association with and are separate from” the so-called Operation Prosperity Guardian, a multinational maritime alliance purportedly formed to protect the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
The Houthis have declared their solidarity with Palestinians against the Israeli war in Gaza which has killed close to 24,000 people, most of them children and other civilians. They have declared that they will target all ships heading to Israel until it stops the genocide in Gaza and have captured one of the ships linked to an Israeli businessman.
The US has tried to delink the Houthi move from the war in Gaza by accusing them of obstructing freedom of navigation. It has tried to mobilize countries from across the world to participate in Operation Prosperity Guardian with limited success.
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution under US pressure on Wednesday demanding an end to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea despite opposition from Russia and China.
Reactions to the US attacks
The attacks on Yemen mark a dangerous escalation of the conflict, something the US has been warning against all along. Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had toured the region, purportedly to prevent such an escalation.
The news of the strikes in Yemen led to spontaneous protests in the US. In New York, scores of protesters gathered with banners demanding the end of US bombings in Yemen along with placards demanding end of war in Gaza. Protesters also raised slogans demanding “US out of the Middle East.”
NOW: Antiwar protesters rally in Times Square NYC to condemn the US bombing of Yemen and demand “US Out of the Middle East.” Hours ago, the Biden administration struck over a dozen sites in Yemen — a major escalation that could lead to regional war. pic.twitter.com/zwUobn7bUE
— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) January 12, 2024
Reacting to the US and UK strikes, Mohammad al-Bukhaiti, a senior Houthi official, claimed that it is “the greatest folly in their history” and they would soon “regret” it. Deputy Foreign Minister in the Sanaa government Hussein el-Azizi claimed that the US and UK should be “prepared to pay a high price” for “their blatant aggression” Al-Mayadeen reported.
One of the closest US allies in the region, Saudi Arabia, expressed concerns over the strikes and called for “restraint” and “avoiding escalation” in a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency.
Iran called the attacks an effort to extend support to Israel’s war crimes in Gaza which has been going on for nearly 100 days.
Russia has called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Friday in connection with the US and UK strikes in Yemen, Tass reported. Russia has termed the strike a violation of the UN charter.
