There has been a new attack in Yemen following air strikes by the USA and Great Britain on Houthi rebel positions. According to the US military, this was a radar system. Houthi media spoke of a series of attacks.
The USA again attacked a position of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen during the night. The US military said the target of the attack was a Houthi radar system.
“This attack was carried out by the USS Carney (DDG 64) using Tomahawk missiles. It was a follow-up operation on a specific military target associated with the January 12 attacks. This is intended to deter the Houthi movement “To attack maritime vessels, including merchant vessels,” US Central Command said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.
The Houthi-run Al-Masirah television channel reported “a series of attacks” by the US and Britain early in the morning. At least one target in the capital Sanaa was hit.
Evaluation of the military strikes is still ongoing
The USA and Great Britain initially carried out a military strike against the Houthis on Friday night with the support of other allies. It was a response to repeated Houthi attacks on international merchant ships in the Red Sea.
The allies attacked almost 30 Houthi military locations in the strike on Friday night, said Lieutenant General Douglas Sims, who is responsible for military operations at the Pentagon. The evaluation has not yet been completed. But he knows that the rebels’ capabilities for further attacks have been weakened. Sims said just over 150 types of ammunition were used in the attacks.
The Houthis said five of their members were killed in the attacks. Six others were injured. The attacks hit the capital Sanaa as well as the provinces of Hudaida, Tais, Hajjah and Saada.
The Houthis vowed to retaliate and said they would continue their attacks on merchant ships allegedly linked to Israel in the Red Sea. Since the outbreak of war between Israel and the Islamist terrorist militia Hamas, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked ships with alleged Israeli connections in the Red Sea. Numerous large shipping companies now avoid the route.
The US military and the White House had already said they expected a possible counterattack by the Houthi rebels after the allied airstrikes. US President Joe Biden indicated on Friday that the rebels would have to prepare for further potential military strikes if they continued their “outrageous behavior”.
USA impose sanctions
The US government imposed further sanctions on Friday. As the US Treasury Department announced, the measures are aimed at four merchant ships and two companies based in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates. The USA accuses them of supplying the Houthis with money from the sale and shipment of Iranian goods.
“The United States continues to target the illicit Iranian financial networks that finance the Houthis and facilitate their attacks,” the US government said. “We will take all available measures to stop these destabilizing Houthi activities and their threats to global trade.”
USA: “Don’t seek conflict with Iran”
After the bombings, the US assured that it did not want to move towards an armed conflict with Tehran. “We are not looking for conflict with Iran. We are not looking for escalation,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told MSNBC television. Kirby added that there was “no reason” for the situation to escalate further beyond the developments of the “past few days.”
Iran strongly condemned the attacks on the Houthi positions. Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani spoke of an “arbitrary action”, a “violation” of international law and a violation of Yemen’s sovereignty.
After the attacks by the USA and other allies, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in the Yemeni city of Sanaa.
Mass protests in Yemen
On Friday, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in the Yemeni capital Sanaa to demonstrate against attacks by the US, Britain and other allies. The Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah television channel showed images of tens of thousands gathering in the capital Sanaa. Angry demonstrators shouted: “We will not be discouraged. Let there be a great world war!”
Sanaa is under the control of the Houthi militia. There are also said to have been demonstrations in the rebel stronghold of Saada in the north of the country. In the past few weeks there have been repeated protests in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. The rebels regularly call for rallies following Friday prayers.
Ralf Borchard, ARD Washington, tagesschau, January 13, 2024 5:43 a.m
