Sanaa (South24)

On Friday, in an unprecedented simultaneous and joint operation, American, British, and Israeli warplanes targeted Houthi military locations with 30 airstrikes across different areas in North Yemen. 

According to the Saudi channel ’Al Arabiya‘, the raids focused on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, the vicinity of Sabeen Square in Sanaa, the 48 Camp, Jabal Attan, Al-Hafaa Camp, and the power station in Sanaa. This is along with striking weapon depots, missile and drone launchers in Harf Sufyan, between the governorates of Amran and Saadah in the North.

Several airstrikes targeted the ports of Hodeidah and Ras Issa on Yemen's western coast overlooking the sea. 

Al Masirah channel released footage showing rising smoke as a result of an airstrike near a massive demonstration in Sabeen Square, organized by the Houthi group every Friday, in solidarity with Gaza. 

British maritime security firm Ambrey said it had received reports of ongoing airstrikes across Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen – including in Ras Issa which is the main oil export port in Yemen. 

Al Masirah added that the coalition launched 12 airstrikes on Harf Sufyan district in Amran governorate in the north of Sanaa. The airstrikes also targeted the Haziz power station in Sanhan district with a series of airstrikes.

The website pointed out that the port of Hodeidah was pounded by six Israeli airstrikes. 

The channel said that “a worker in the Haziz power station was injured and some residential houses were damaged”. It also mentioned that an employee was killed, and six others were injured in the airstrikes that targeted Ras Issa in Al-Hodeidah.

Houthi official media platforms said that the airstrikes targeting Hodeidah and Sanaa “were carried out by American, British, and Israeli air forces”. 

The Israeli army said: “The Air Force attacked Houthi regime targets on the western coastal strip and deep inside Yemen, including a power station”. 

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that “the airstrikes deliver a message to the Houthi Leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi that there will be no immunity for anyone”. 

He added addressing the Houthis: “We will pursue and hunt you down and destroy the terror infrastructures you have established”. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X: "As we pledged, the Houthis are paying, and will continue to pay, a heavy price for their aggression against us.

“The Houthis are an Iranian proxy and serve the terrorist goals of the Iranian axis in the Middle East. They pose a danger to Israel and the entire region, including a threat to global freedom of navigation," Netanyahu wrote, adding. "I repeat: We will not tolerate harm to our citizens and our country."

Axios quoted a US official as saying that the attacks on Yemen weren't a joint operation with Britain and Israel. However, he admitted that they coordinated with each other to avoid conflict and that each party hit different targets in Yemen. 

The Jerusalem Post, quoting an informed source, said that Israel and the US decided to coordinate efforts in handling the Houthi threat during US Central Command (CENTCOM) deputy commander Brad Cooper's recent visit to Israel.

It also said the attacks were the largest coordinated Israeli-US-British attack on the Houthis since the start of the war. “More than 20 Israeli aircraft took part in the strikes, with around 50 munitions being dropped on terror targets in Yemen”, it said.

In a speech delivered in Sabeen Square, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said that the Houthis carried out several military operations targeting the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. 

“During the past 48 hours, we carried out several military operations, the most prominent of which was targeting the American aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman along with a number of its warships in the northern Red Sea with a number of cruise missiles and drones”, he added. 

He continued: “The operation thwarted a new air attack against our country launched from USS Truman, forcing it to leave the northern Red Sea area”. 

He also pointed out that his group attacked the city of Jaffa in Israel yesterday, Thursday, with three drones.

Two days earlier, the US army carried out precision strikes on Houthi underground weapon storage facilities in Yemen, saying these were used to launch attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea

“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted multiple precision strikes against two Iranian-backed Houthi underground Advanced Conventional Weapon (ACW) storage facilities within Houthi-controlled territories of Yemen”, according to its statement. 

It added: “The Houthis used these facilities to conduct attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden”. 

The Iran-allied Houthis have attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea for over a year in an attempt to impose a maritime siege against Israel. They claim that the motive behind this is to stand in solidarity with Palestinians in their Gaza war against Israel since October 7, 2023.