Video: Houthi TV: 14 killed in US-British strikes in Yemen

On Friday, a Houthi-run television channel reported that 14 people were killed and over 30 injured in overnight strikes in Yemen conducted by the United States and Britain.

According to Al-Masirah, the Houthi-affiliated Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels’ channel, the strikes targeted the Hodeida radio station and the port of Salif, resulting in 14 fatalities and more than 30 injuries.

The U.S. and Britain carried out attacks on 13 Houthi sites across Yemen on Thursday. This action was in response to a recent increase in attacks by the Houthi militia on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as confirmed by three U.S. officials.

These officials, who spoke anonymously, stated that American and British forces hit a variety of targets, including underground facilities, missile launchers, command centers, a Houthi vessel, and other sites. The U.S. also targeted eight drones in Houthi-controlled areas deemed threatening to American and coalition forces.

Al Masirah reported that one of the strikes in Hodeida killed at least two people and injured ten others. The channel aired footage showing injured individuals being treated. Other strikes occurred outside the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and other locations, likely indicating hits on Houthi military sites.

The strikes followed the downing of a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone in Yemen, with the Houthis claiming responsibility and releasing footage of the incident. Additionally, earlier missile attacks damaged a Greek-owned, Marshall Islands-flagged ship in the Red Sea, which the Houthis also claimed.

This operation marks the fifth joint U.S.-British military action against the Houthis since January 12. The U.S. has been conducting near-daily strikes to eliminate Houthi targets, including missiles and drones aimed at ships.

U.S. F/A-18 fighter jets from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and other warships in the region participated in these latest strikes. Recently, the Houthis have increased attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, demanding an end to the war in Gaza, which has resulted in over 36,000 Palestinian deaths following the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel.

Since November, the Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel, and sunk another, leading to a decline in shipping traffic through these waters. In the past week, U.S. warships have destroyed several missile launchers and drones targeting ships.

President Joe Biden and other senior U.S. leaders have repeatedly warned that the U.S. will not tolerate Houthi attacks on commercial shipping. Despite these countermeasures, the Houthi campaign against shipping in the region persists.