Fresh US-British strikes hit Houthi site in Yemen's Red Sea port city

SANAA -- The US-British navy forces struck a Houthi site in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Thursday, the group's al-Masirah TV reported.

Two strikes hit the al-Dhubrah area in the district of Ras Issa, northwest of the city, said the television without providing further information.

After the strikes, Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi delivered a televised speech, vowing again to continue missile attacks against the United States, British and Israeli vessels, unless Israel stops the conflict and blockade on the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip.

The US Navy has made no comment yet on today's strikes.

Hours earlier, the US Navy released a brief statement on social media platform X on its Wednesday's strikes on Houthi camps.

"On Feb. 7, at approximately 9:00 pm Yemen time (1800 GMT), US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted self-defense strikes against two Houthi mobile anti-ship cruise missiles prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea," the US Central Command said, referring to the strikes on a Houthi site in the Ras Issa district, where the Houthis used to launch missile attacks on the commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

"Later that day, at 11:30 pm Yemen time (2030 GMT), the CENTCOM forces conducted a second strike against a Houthi mobile land attack cruise missile prepared to launch," it said, referring to the Houthi stronghold of northern Saada province.

"The CENTCOM identified these missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region," the CENTCOM added.

The armed Houthi group has launched dozens of missile attacks against commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea since mid-November last year, in what the group said in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The US-British maritime coalition hit back in response in an attempt to deter the group, but the group has instead increased escalation.

The Houthi group has been controlling the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah since the 2018 UN-brokered Stockholm Agreement, which was backed by the United States and Britain, forcing the Yemeni internationally recognized government out.