New US air strikes targeting Yemen’s Houthis more intense than before: Report
The new and sustained United States air strikes against Yemen’s Houthis appear “more intense and more extensive”, an Associated Press review of the operation shows.
The Trump administration has moved from solely targeting launch sites to bombarding city neighbourhoods as well as firing at ranking figures, the news agency says. Dozens have been killed in the US attacks on Yemen, including civilians and children.
The pattern signals a departure from the Biden administration, which limited its attacks as Arab allies tried to reach a separate peace with the Houthis and comes after the Iran-aligned Houthis said they would resume attacking Israeli targets over Israel’s punishing blockade of aid into the Gaza Strip.
The Houthi attacks and the US response have drawn new scrutiny in Washington after senior security officials in Trump’s administration shared plans for the first round of strikes on the Houthis on March 15 in a group chat that included a journalist from The Atlantic.
Smoke rises from an explosion after a US military strike hits buildings at an undisclosed location in Yemen [US Central Command/Handout/Reuters]
Yemen’s Houthis claim responsibility for two missiles fired at Israel
We have reported earlier that Israel claimed to have intercepted two ballistic missiles fired from Yemen.
Now, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have issued a statement on Telegram, confirming the launch “in support of the oppressed Palestinian people” and claiming “the operation successfully achieved its goal”.
The announcement said Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport and “a military target” in southern Israel were the targets.
The group also claimed to have attacked “enemy warships in the Red Sea, led by the US aircraft carrier Truman” with a number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.
“The results of the confrontation and counter-attack operations over the past few days included the thwarting of the enemy’s attempts to advance its warships towards the southern Red Sea region and the thwarting of all its attempts to expand its aggression against our country through raids and shelling from the sea,” the statement read.
