Houthis vow retaliation after latest UK, US military strikes on Yemen

Yemen’s Armed Forces announced on February 4 that they will not let the recent series of airstrikes conducted by the United States and Britain in the Yemeni capital Sana’a and other regions of the country go unanswered.

Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Sare'e reported that the US-UK aggression carried out 48 air raids on the Yemeni provinces of Sana’a, Hodeidah, Sa’adah, Al-Baidha, Taiz, and Lahij, Al Masirah reports.

“These attacks will not discourage Yemeni forces and the nation from maintaining their support for Palestinians in the face of the Zionist occupation and crimes,” he added. “The aggressors' airstrikes will not go unanswered.”

Late on February 3, the US and UK executed new strikes on Yemen utilizing air and surface platforms, including fighter jets, with the backing of Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

In a statement, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed that the strikes aim to "degrade" Yemen’s capabilities for naval pro-Palestine operations.

On Feb. 4, at approximately 5:30 a.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command forces conducted a strike in self-defence against a Houthi land attack cruise missile, CENTCOM said in a separate statement.

Beginning at 10:30 a.m. U.S. forces struck four anti-ship cruise missiles, all of which were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea.

U.S. forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region. These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels.

Israel initiated a war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 following an operation by the Palestinian Hamas radical group against it.

The US has provided unwavering support for Israel during the aggression, resulting in the death of at least 27,238 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, and injuring 66,452 others.

In solidarity with the Palestinians in besieged Gaza, Yemeni forces have targeted Israel-bound ships in the southern Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Gulf of Aden, and even in the Arabian Sea.

In response to the pro-Palestine maritime campaign, the US and its allies bombed Yemen.

The attacks prompted Yemen to declare American and British vessels as legitimate targets for its armed forces.