Aden: The Houthi group has reported that American and British fighter jets carried out two airstrikes in Hodeidah, a key port city on Yemen’s Red Sea coast. The Houthis claimed to have gained full control over maritime navigation in the Red Sea.
According to the Houthis, the airstrikes hit the Bajil district in Hodeidah province, but they did not provide further details regarding the extent of the damage or any casualties, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
In a televised address on Thursday, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the group, asserted that Houthi forces have effectively halted Israeli maritime movement in the Red Sea. He claimed that no Israeli vessels, nor any ships carrying goods destined for Israel from other countries, have been able to navigate through the area.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have been launching missile and drone attacks against what they describe as “Israeli-linked” vessels in the region and even targeting locations within Israel, in solidarity with the Palestinians following the outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on October 7, 2023.
In response, the US-British naval coalition in the region has been conducting regular airstrikes and missile attacks against Houthi positions since January, aiming to deter the group’s actions.