US, UK strike 18 Houthi targets in Yemen amid Red Sea attacks

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WASHINGTON: The US and Britain struck 18 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday, answering a recent surge in attacks by the Iran-backed militia group on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, including a missile strike this past week that set fire to a cargo vessel.

According to US officials, American and British fighter jets hit sites in eight locations, targeting missiles, launchers, rockets, drones and air defence systems.

This is the fourth time that the US and British militaries have conducted a combined operation against the Houthis since January 12. But the US has also been carrying out almost daily strikes to take out Houthi targets, including incoming missiles and drones aimed at ships, as well as weapons that were prepared to launch.

The US F/A-18 fighter jets launched from the USS Dwight D Eisenhower aircraft carrier, which is currently in the Red Sea, officials said.

“The United States will not hesitate to take action, as needed, to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways,” said US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. “We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that they will bear the consequences if they do not stop their illegal attacks,” he said.

The Houthis denounced the “US-British aggression” and vowed to keep up its military operation in response. “The Yemeni Armed Forces affirm that they will confront the US-British escalation with more qualitative military operations against all hostile targets in the Red and Arabian Seas in defense of our country, our people and our nation,” it said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Israeli PM Netanyahu said it was not clear yet whether a hostage deal would materialise from ongoing talks, declining to discuss specifics but saying the Islamist militant group Hamas needed to “come down to a reasonable situation.”

Netanyahu, speaking in an interview, added he was meeting with staff later on Sunday to review a dual military plan that included the evacuation of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and an operation to destroy remaining Hamas battalions.

“If we have a deal, it will be delayed somewhat, but it will happen. If we don’t have a deal, we’ll do it anyway,” he told CBS.

At the same time, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Israel had come to an understanding of “basic contours” of a hostage deal for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza.