US conducts 'precision airstrike' on Yemen capital
The Pentagon said it targeted a site believed to be a command center of Iran-backed Houthi forces in Sanaa.
According to RT, US forces conducted a precision airstrike targeting a “vital command and control facility” believed to be operated by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Houthi-controlled territory in Sanaa, Yemen.
According to a statement by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on December 16, the attacked facility was identified as a coordination center for Houthi activities, including attacks on US Navy warships and commercial vessels in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
CENTCOM said the attack demonstrated Washington's "continued commitment to protecting US and coalition personnel, regional partners, and international shipping."
The latest attack comes amid heightened tensions following recent Houthi missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and commercial shipping. On December 16, the Houthis claimed to have launched a supersonic ballistic missile at Tel Aviv, but the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the missile was intercepted without causing any casualties.
The Yemeni Shia group has targeted Israeli ships in the Red Sea and expanded its operations to include US- and UK-linked vessels in a show of “solidarity” with Palestinians amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Last week, the US Navy reportedly repelled a Houthi attack on commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden. According to CENTCOM, on December 9-10, two US destroyers, USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and USS O'Kane (DDG 77), successfully destroyed unmanned aerial systems and an anti-ship cruise missile, preventing any damage to civilian vessels and crew. Additionally, on November 13, US Navy ships intercepted and neutralized drones and missiles launched by Houthi forces while passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The US, along with its allies, launched Operation Prosperity Guardian last year in response to Houthi attacks.
Last month, US forces conducted airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, targeting weapons depots used to attack ships off the country’s coast. On December 15, the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV channel reported new US and British airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Hodeidah province, but the US did not immediately comment.
Hodeidah, which has an international airport and three major ports, has been the frequent target of attacks by the US and Britain.
