US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Monday that it had conducted a precision air strike against a Houthi facility in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.
“On December 16 Yemen time, US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted a precision air strike against a key command and control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthis within Houthi-controlled territory in Sana’a, Yemen,” said CENTCOM in a statement.
The statement added that the facility which was struck “was a hub for coordinating Houthi operations, such as attacks against US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.”
“The strike reflects CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment to protect US and coalition personnel, regional partners, and international shipping,” stated CENTCOM.
The Houthis have upped their attacks in the region since the start of the war in Gaza last October, having launched drones towards Israel and targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea region.
In the wake of the uptick in Houthi attacks, the US formed a coalition, made up of more than 20 countries, aimed at safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthis.
The coalition has repeatedly targeted Houthi facilities and weapons systems in Yemen.
Just last week, CENTCOM announced that its forces had defeated attacks by the Houthis on US Navy and US-flagged ships in the Gulf of Aden.
The statement said that US Navy destroyers USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and USS O’Kane (DDG 77) successfully defeated a range of Houthi-launched weapons while transiting the Gulf of Aden, in attacks that took place on both Monday and Tuesday.
Thus far, the Houthis have been unfazed by the strikes, saying that the campaign against the "Zionist enemy" will continue and that the attacks against the American and British ships will not stop.
On Monday morning, an Israeli Navy missile boat intercepted a UAV that was launched from Yemen over the Mediterranean Sea.
The IDF noted that the UAV was intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory.
Hours later, sirens were activated throughout much of central Israel following the launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen.
The IDF stated that the missile was intercepted by the IAF before it crossed into Israeli territory and that sirens were sounded due to the possibility of falling shrapnel from the interception.