Houthis say US-British coalition airstrikes in western Yemen kills 11, injures 14

Airstrikes apparently carried out by the US-British coalition on port cities and small towns in western Yemen killed at least 11 people and wounded 14 others on March 11, Reuters reports, citing the internationally recognised government of Yemen.

The Houthi-owned Al Masirah news agency says there were at least 17 airstrikes, including on the main port city of Hodeidah and in the port of Ras Issa.

US Army Central Command (CENTCOM), for its part, shared a post on social network X saying: “Between 8:50 a.m. and 12:50 p.m. (Sanaa time) on March 11, Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles from Houthi-controlled areas of into the Red Sea toward merchant vessel Pinocchio, a Singaporean-owned, Liberian-flagged ship. The missiles did not impact the vessel and there were no injuries or damage reported.”

Then the message read: “Between 2:50-11:30 p.m. (Sanaa time) on March 11, United States Central Command conducted six self-defence strikes destroying an unmanned underwater vessel and 18 anti-ship missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region. These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels.”