WASHINGTON: Yemen’s Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic missile on Friday in retaliation for overnight US and British strikes targeting the Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, a US general said.
“We know that they have fired at least one missile in retaliation” but it did not hit a vessel, Director of the Joint Staff Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims told the media.
“Their rhetoric has been pretty strong and pretty high. I would expect that they will attempt to some sort of retaliation,” he said of the Houthis.
The assessment of damage from the strikes by the US and Britain — which targeted nearly 30 locations using more than 150 munitions —still continues, Sims said, noting however that the number of casualties is not expected to be high.
“Every target we struck last night was associated with a capability that has been employed in denying freedom of navigation in the Red Sea,” he said.
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Since the Gaza war broke out with Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, the Houthis have launched an increasing number of drone and missile attacks on the key international shipping route through the Red Sea.
The rebels – who say they are acting in response to Israel’s military assault on Gaza – have controlled much of Yemen since the civil war broke out in 2014 and are part of the so-called “axis of resistance” backed by Iran.
