US and UK conduct fresh series of air strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen

The United States and the United Kingdom carried out a fresh series of joint air strikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The Pentagon, in a statement, said that the air strikes carried out on Monday (Jan 22) hit eight targets which included weapon storage facilities, air defence systems, missile systems and launchers.

The latest strikes conducted by the US and UK were against "eight Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the Houthis' continued attacks against international and commercial shipping as well as naval vessels transiting the Red Sea," said Washington and London, in a joint statement with other nations which supported the military action.

"These precision strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade and the lives of innocent mariners," read the statement.

In a separate statement, the US Central Command said that the air strikes were targeted at places which "included missile systems and launchers, air defence systems, radars, and deeply buried weapons storage facilities".

US, UK claim trying to protect ‘free flow of commerce’

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been striking ships which they claim to have links with Israel and Western nations.

The US and UK have claimed that the strikes are aimed at protecting the "free flow of commerce".

In a joint statement, the Pentagon said that “an additional round of proportionate and necessary strikes" were carried outagainst the Houthis.

"Our aim remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea, but let us reiterate our warning to Houthi leadership: we will not hesitate to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world's most critical waterways in the face of continued threats,” the statement further read.

This is the eighth strike launched by the US on Houthis in Yemen. This is also the second joint operation conducted by the US with the UK, after joint air strikes were launched on January 11.

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The joint statement claimed that the joint strikes were launched with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands.

The strikes on Monday were carried out by US fighter jets from the carrier USS Eisenhower along with the UK’s four RAF Typhoons and a pair of Voyager tankers.

"Our aircraft used Paveway IV precision-guided bombs to strike multiple targets at two military sites in the vicinity of Sanaa airfield. These locations were being used to enable the continued intolerable attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea," said the UK Ministry of Defence.

"In line with UK standard practice, a very rigorous analysis was applied in planning the strikes to minimise any risk of civilian casualties, and as with the previous strikes, our aircraft bombed at night to mitigate yet further any such risks," it added.

(With inputs from agencies)