US and UK launch major attack on Houthi targets in Yemen, rebels report attack on US tanker | outside

A joint statement said that the attacks targeted 18 Houthi targets in 8 locations in Yemen. This included underground storage facilities for weapons, missiles, air defense systems, radars and a helicopter.

Shortly after the attacks, a Houthi spokesman said the rebels attacked a US tanker, the MV Torm Thor, on Saturday evening in the Gulf of Aden, just outside the Red Sea. The British government agency that coordinates shipping in the region, UKMTO, reported on X that a ship may have been attacked east of Djibouti in the Gulf of Aden, without providing further details.

The attacks aim to stop the actions of Yemeni rebels against commercial ships in the Red Sea. The Houthi rebels, who control large parts of Yemen, are said to have carried out more than 45 attacks on ships in the region since mid-November, according to the joint statement issued by the Americans and the British. They claim to be working in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is waging a bloody war against the extremist Palestinian movement Hamas.

Western countries have begun measures to protect ships in the region. In addition to the United States and the United Kingdom, these countries include Canada, Australia, Bahrain, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. There have been several attacks against militias in recent weeks.

The Red Sea is located on one of the most important shipping routes for international trade.

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