A series of airstrikes carried out by the United States and Britain on Saturday destroyed or damaged 17 of 18 Houthi targets in Yemen, Pentagon officials told Fox News on Tuesday.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Pete Nguyen said the targets included underground weapons storage facilities, missile storage facilities, one-way strike unmanned air systems, air defense systems, radars and helicopters.
Houthi Rebels attack destroys Belizean-flagged ship in key strait leading to the Red Sea
The coalition airstrikes targeted the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen and came days after a British cargo ship was attacked by Houthi missiles.
“More broadly, since the first coalition attack on January 11, we have destroyed or degraded more than 150 missiles and launchers, including anti-ship land attack and surface-to-air missiles, as well as numerous unmanned communications capabilities. We are evaluating: aircraft, unmanned surface vessels, coastal radar, air surveillance capabilities, rotorcraft, underground facilities including weapons storage areas, command and control buildings, etc.,” Nguyen said.
On Tuesday, Pentagon spokesman Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the airstrikes had reduced the Houthis’ “substantial capabilities.”
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea. (Fox News)
The attack, which also included support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand, came days after a British cargo ship was attacked by Houthi missiles. U.S. Central Command called the attack an “environmental disaster” after an 18-mile oil slick was observed from space while the ship was flooded and at risk of sinking. The ship carries more than 40,000 tons of fertilizer.
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Last week, a US-owned cargo ship was also attacked by a missile.
The terrorist group has launched more than 45 attacks on commercial and naval vessels since mid-November, disrupting the shipping industry and the global economy, officials said over the weekend.
