On Saturday morning, the maritime coalition composed of the US and Britain launched two precision strikes targeting Houthi positions in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah in Yemen. This response came shortly after the Houthis executed a missile attack on a British oil tanker. The strikes were directed at the Ras Issa coastal area situated in the northwestern part of Hodeidah, as reported by the media.
Simultaneously, the US Central Command reported conducting a defensive strike against a Houthi missile. The strike took place around 3:45 a.m. (Yemen time), with the US Forces identifying and destroying the Houthi anti-ship missile that posed an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the Red Sea region. The Central Command clarified that the action was taken in self-defense.
The retaliatory measures from the US occurred shortly after the Houthis claimed responsibility for launching a missile at the British oil tanker, Marlin Luanda, in the Gulf of Aden on the preceding Friday. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a British maritime observer agency, confirmed the attack on the tanker, which sought assistance after catching fire due to the Houthi missile strike.
It's worth noting that the Houthi forces maintain control over significant portions of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the strategically important Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. On January 17, the US officially re-designated the Houthi group as a "global terrorist organization," with the designation set to take effect in the coming month. The situation in the region continues to be tense, marked by military actions and geopolitical complexities.
(With Agency Inputs)
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