US-British naval coalition strikes targets in Yemen's Hodeidah

Sanaa, Dec 31
A US-British naval coalition conducted two airstrikes on Yemen's Hodeidah province, targeting the At-Tuhayta district in the southwest of the province, Houthi media reported.

The report did not provide further details, but residents in the district said on social media that two powerful explosions shook their homes.

The US Central Command has not yet commented on the incidents but typically issues a statement later to confirm any airstrike conducted by its forces.

The Houthi group, which controls much of northern Yemen, has been regularly launching rocket and drone attacks against Israel and disrupting 'Israeli-linked' shipping in the Red Sea since November 2023, citing solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, Xinhua news agency reported, quoting Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

Earlier on December 27, the coalition launched an airstrike on the Houthi-held Yemeni capital of Sanaa, targeting the 1st Armor Division in the city.

The 1st Armor Division was a military site under Houthi control.

The airstrike shook the entire city, and ambulances were heard rushing to the targeted site.

The fresh airstrike came one day after Israel launched waves of airstrikes on December 26, targeting multiple Houthi sites in Yemen, including an airport, two power stations, and several ports. The Israeli offensive, the fourth of the year, killed at least 6 people and injured 40 others, according to Houthi television.

On December 22, the coalition launched an airstrike on a Houthi site in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

The strike targeted the site in Hodeidah's Al-Luhayyah area, according to al-Masirah, which did not provide further details or report any casualties.

The US Central Command stated in a message on X that its forces had conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by the Houthis in the capital, Sanaa.

Command forces had also shot down multiple Houthi one-way attack drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea, according to the statement.

The airstrikes came hours after the Houthis claimed responsibility for a ballistic missile attack on central Israel, which injured at least 20 Israelis in Tel Aviv.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have been carrying out rocket and drone attacks on Israeli cities and disrupting 'Israeli-linked' shipping in the Red Sea.

In response, the US-led navy coalition stationed in the area had been conducting regular air raids on Houthi targets since January in an effort to deter the armed group.