US-led airstrikes hit Houthi positions in central Yemen: officials

Aden (Uttam Hindu News): The US has reportedly launched new airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen’s central province of Al Bayda. Yasser Zahlan, a local government official, said the strikes came just hours after the Houthi group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a missile attack on US-owned oil tankers in the Gulf of Aden, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said three attacks hit Houthi military barracks and facilities in the Muqayras district of al-Bayda before dawn Tuesday. US Central Command issued a statement confirming the strikes, saying that “US forces hit and destroyed four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles ready to launch from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen”.

On Monday, a US-owned and operated container ship was attacked by missiles launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. Hours earlier, the Houthi group claimed responsibility for a new attack on the Greek-owned, Malta-flagged cargo ship Zographia with multiple missiles in the Red Sea. According to a Houthi statement, the attack was a response to the ship ignoring warnings to continue heading towards Israel.

The Houthi group has recently stepped up attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait with armed boats, drones and missiles, raising concerns about maritime security in this vital global trade route. Maritime authorities are urging all vessels transiting the Red Sea to exercise extreme caution and remain alert to potential dangers. The Houthis have taken control of much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, since ousting the Yemeni government in 2014.