U.S. Launches Retaliatory Strike Against Houthi Militants in Yemen
The U.S. Strikes Back
The U.S. has conducted another retaliatory strike against Houthi militants in Yemen, following a series of airstrikes on Thursday. According to a U.S. official, the purpose of this strike is to further degrade the rebels’ ability to attack commercial ships in the Red Sea.
Response to Anti-Ship Launch
It remains unclear whether Friday’s airstrike is directly related to an anti-ship fired at a vessel in the Gulf of Aden earlier that day. The projectile fell harmlessly into the water, but the U.S. response indicates a commitment to preventing future attacks.
Thursday Night’s Strikes
On Thursday night, the U.S. targeted 28 Houthi locations in Yemen that were associated with 27 drone and missile attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The strikes were carried out by Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from U.S. Navy destroyers, British warplanes, and U.S. Navy fighter aircraft from the USS Eisenhower.
Houthi Threats and Biden’s Response
Houthi officials had vowed to retaliate against the U.S. following Thursday’s strikes. President Joe Biden, speaking on Friday, referred to the strikes as a “success” and warned that the U.S. would continue responding if the Houthis persisted with their “outrageous behavior.”
Degrading Houthi Capability
U.S. officials believe that the strikes have significantly degraded the Houthis’ ability to launch large-scale attacks. Gen. Douglas Sims, the director of the Joint Staff, stated that the capability of executing a major attack like the one attempted on Tuesday has been diminished.
Hopes for No Retaliation
Gen. Sims expressed hope that the Houthis would refrain from retaliating, emphasizing that any such actions would harm the region and be ultimately futile. He also mentioned that civilian casualties from Thursday’s strikes are expected to be minimal, as most of the targeted locations were in rural or sparsely populated areas.
Targeting Capability, Ensuring Navigation Freedom
The primary objective of the strikes was to degrade the Houthi capability that obstructs international freedom of navigation in waters. Gen. Sims stated that the operation was successful in achieving this goal and emphasized that it was not primarily focused on causing casualties.
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