Sanaa, Jan 5 (IANS) A US-led navy coalition launched three airstrikes on Yemen’s northern province of Saada on Sunday morning, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.
The strikes targeted a military site of the Houthi group in the city, residents said on social media.
The US military has yet to comment on the claim.
The US Central Command said on Tuesday in a press release that US forces had conducted multiple precision strikes targeting Houthi positions in Yemen’s capital to degrade their “effort to threaten regional partners”.
The Houthi group, which controls much of northern Yemen, has been launching regular rocket and drone attacks against Israel and disrupting “Israeli-linked” shipping in the Red Sea since November 2023 in support of Palestinians, Xinhua news agency reported. In response, the US-led naval coalition stationed in the area had regularly conducted air raids and strikes against Houthi targets to deter the group, prompting the Houthis to expand attacks to include US warships.
Earlier on December 31, 2024, a series of US-led airstrikes had hit Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, targeting military sites under Houthi control, al-Masirah TV had reported.
Two of the airstrikes had hit the Defence Ministry building and other areas in downtown Sanaa, while the rest had struck the 1st Armor Division and an ammunition manufacturing complex in the city centre, al-Masirah TV had stated without further elaboration.
Ambulances had been seen rushing to the scenes as Houthi forces cordoned off the targeted sites. Residents had reported that the powerful airstrikes had rocked the entire city, with some houses near the targeted sites being partially damaged.
Dozens of Houthi fighters were believed to have been present at these sites when the strikes took place, but the Houthi group rarely disclosed its casualties or losses.
The airstrikes had come just a few hours after the Houthi group had claimed responsibility for overnight missile attacks targeting Ben Gurion airport in Israel’s Tel Aviv and a power station south of Jerusalem, as well as rocket and drone attacks on the US aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman.
Following the violent airstrikes, US Central Command (CENTCOM) had issued a statement on social media platform X, saying its forces had conducted multiple precision strikes since Monday against Houthi targets in Sanaa and Houthi-controlled coastal regions in Yemen.
“On December 30 and 31, US Navy ships and aircraft had targeted a Houthi command and control facility and advanced conventional weapon (ACW) production and storage facilities, which included missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV),” it had stated.
–IANS
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