The US and UK have begun carrying out strikes on Yemen in the early hours of Friday local time.
The blasts occurred in Sanaa, Hodeidah and other cities, the Yemen Ansarallah movement said.
The action comes after Washington and London vowed to retaliate against attacks on Israel-bound ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Ansarallah said that they will continue to target ships going to or returning from Israeli ports until Tel Aviv ends its genocidal war on Gaza and allows for critical aid to reach the starving population of the Strip.
Friday, January 12, 05:45 GMT
HEZBOLLAH: US aggression against Yemen confirms once again that Washington is the full partner in the tragedies and massacres committed by Israel in Gaza and the region.
05:40 GMT
IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY:
The US-British military strikes come in the context of supporting the Zionist entity’s war on Gaza.
Washington bears responsibility for the repercussions of targeting Yemen militarily and the consequences thereof.
The international community should act responsibly to prevent the expansion of the war in the region.
REUTERS (Citing Ansarallah spokesman): There is no justification at all for the US-British aggression on Yemen. US Attacks will not affect Ansarallah’s decision to target Israeli ships or ships bound for Israel.
04:45 GMT
Anti-war protesters gathered at Times Square in New York and outside the White House in Washington, DC, chanting “Let Yemen live” and “Hands off Yemen.” They also expressed solidarity with Palestine.
BREAKING: PROTESTS AT THE WHITE HOUSE SAYING “HANDS OF YEMEN AND FREE PALESTINE” pic.twitter.com/54klRD4IFX
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) January 12, 2024
04:06 GMT
The US Central Command posted a video of its jets taking off from an aircraft carrier in the middle of the night. CENTCOM Commander, General Michael Kurilla, said that the Houthis (Ansarallah) “will be held accountable” for their “illegal and dangerous actions.”
On Jan. 11 at 2:30 a.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command forces, in coordination with the United Kingdom, and support from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Bahrain conducted joint strikes on Houthi targets to degrade their capability to continue their illegal and… pic.twitter.com/bR8biMolSx
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 12, 2024
Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Bahrain, and South Korea voiced their support for the US-British bombardment.
03:32 GMT
American and British aircraft targeted Al-Dailami Air Base, north of Sanaa, local Al-Masirah TV station said.
Lebanese news channel Al Mayadden cited its reporter on the ground as saying that the Hodeidah Airport was also targeted.
Fadel Abu Taleb, a senior Houthi official, wrote on X that the bombardment “will not achieve any results and will not be able to discourage the Yemeni people from continuing their support for the Palestinians.”
.@POTUS is violating Article I of the Constitution by carrying out airstrikes in Yemen without congressional approval. The American people are tired of endless war.
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) January 12, 2024
03:01 GMT
Riyadh has called for “restraint” and urged to “avoid escalation.”
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is following with great concern the military operations taking place in the Red Sea and the raids on a number of sites in the Republic of Yemen,” the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement, that was cited in Al-Jazeera.
🚨HAPPENING NOW! Protesters gather in Times Square to say NO to the U.S/U.K bombing of Yemen!
🇾🇪 WE WANT JUSTICE YOU SAY HOW? STOP BOMBING YEMEN NOW!
#StopBombingYemen #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/GdiOnvUN4i
— The People's Forum (@PeoplesForumNYC) January 12, 2024
02:10 GMT
The strikes targeted “sites associated with Ansarallah’s unmanned aerial vehicle, ballistic and cruise missile, and coastal radar and air surveillance capabilities,” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said. He added that the US reserved the right to “take follow-on actions” to protect its forces.
UK Secretary of Defense Grant Shapps announced that four Eurofighter Typhoon jets “conducted precision strikes on two Houthi military sites.”
#بيان | تتابع المملكة العربية السعودية بقلق بالغ العمليات العسكرية التي تشهدها منطقة البحر الأحمر والغارات الجوية التي تعرضت لها عدد من المواقع في الجمهورية اليمنية pic.twitter.com/ChgJzSaQXB
— وزارة الخارجية 🇸🇦 (@KSAMOFA) January 12, 2024
01:38 GMT
Russia has requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday to discuss the ongoing escalation in Yemen.
Israel has been shooting fishing boats from Gaza every day for almost 20 years to destroy its fishing industry and keep it economically de-developed. Now that the Houthis are giving Israel a taste of its own medicine, the U.S. invokes “freedom of navigation” to attack Yemen.… pic.twitter.com/sG9wD7E09n
— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) January 12, 2024
01:27 GMT
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak released a statement in the early hours of Friday, saying that the Royal Air Force “has carried out targeted strikes against military facilities used by Houthi rebels in Yemen.”
The PM accused Ansarallah of “destabilizing” commercial shipping in the Red Sea. “Their reckless actions are risking lives at sea and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Yemen,” Sunak said.
“This cannot stand,” he added, describing the strikes as “limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defense.”
🇾🇪HAPPENING NOW: Anti-war activists gather outside of the White House to condemn US-led bombing of Yemen pic.twitter.com/dUlCOTg41o
— ANSWER Coalition (@answercoalition) January 12, 2024
01:18 GMT
Yemeni news agency SABA reported that the strikes occurred in the country’s capital Sanaa, as well as the provinces of Saada, Hodeidah, Taiz and Dhamar.
Unverified videos posted to social media show powerful explosions on the ground.
This is the mindset of people in #Yemen 💯 pic.twitter.com/1rTYfFCsru
— Palestine Now (@PalestineNW) January 12, 2024
00:59 GMT
Houthi spokesman Abdulsalam Jahaf claimed that “a number of American and British warships have been hit” during “a major battle in the Red Sea.”
“Whoever is involved, will pay the price,” he wrote on X. “We will not stop our attack until you leave the area.”
Long Live Houthis
Long Live Yemen pic.twitter.com/Azcf8I0D5d— Carlos Latuff (@LatuffCartoons) January 12, 2024
00:44 GMT
US President Joe Biden said that the Western coalition has “successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways.”
“Today’s defensive action follows this extensive diplomatic campaign and Houthi rebels’ escalating attacks against commercial vessels,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
🚨🇺🇸🇾🇪 THE TERRORISTS HAVE HIT YEMEN because Gaza alone wasn’t already enough. pic.twitter.com/PMcP6UKo6K
— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) January 12, 2024
00:32 GMT
Several Western outlets quoted unnamed American and British officials as confirming the strikes. The White House and Downing Street are yet to make official statements on the matter.
The sites in Yemen were targeted by fighter jets and hit with Tomahawk cruise missiles, CNN reported.
Houthi spokesman Abdulsalam Jahaf earlier wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that blasts occurred in Sanaa, Hodeidah and other cities.
(RT, PC, Social Media)