Houthi rebels vow fierce retaliation after American and British strikes against them

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen's Houthi rebels vowed fierce retaliation Friday for American and British strikes against them, further raising the prospect of a wider conflict in a region already beset by Israel's war in Gaza.

The bombardment — launched in response to a recent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the vital Red Sea — killed at least five people and wounded six, the Houthis said.

The US said the strikes took aim at more than 60 targets in 16 different locations across Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

As the bombing lit the predawn sky over multiple sites held by the Iranian-backed rebels, it forced the world to again focus on Yemen's yearslong war, which began when the Houthis seized the country's capital.

Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israel's offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade and energy shipments.

Though the Biden administration and its allies have tried to calm tensions in the Middle East for weeks and prevent any wider conflict, the strikes threatened to ignite one.

Saudi Arabia — which supports the government-in-exile that the Houthis are fighting — quickly sought to distance itself from the attacks as it seeks to maintain a delicate détente with Iran and a cease-fire it has in Yemen.

The Houthis' military spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, said in a recorded address that the strikes would "not go unanswered or unpunished."

He said strikes on regions of Yemen under their control killed five and wounded six from the rebels' military forces. It remained unclear how extensive the damage was, though the Houthis said at least five sites, including airfields, had been attacked.

US Air Forces Central Command said the strikes focused on the Houthi's command and control nodes, munition depots, launching systems, production facilities and air defence radar systems. The strikes involved more than 100 precision-guided munitions including air-launched missiles and ship-and submarine launched Tomahawk land attack missiles.

The United Kingdom said strikes hit a site in Bani allegedly used by the Houthis to launch drones and an airfield in Abbs used to launch cruise missiles and drones.

Follow The Gleaner on X and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.