Washington:
The United States and Britain have begun carrying out strikes on targets linked to Houthis in Yemen, four US officials told Reuters on Thursday. last year.
The Houthis, who control most of Yemen, have targeted the Red Sea shipping lanes to show their support for Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist group. The attacks have disrupted international trade on the key route between Europe and Asia, which accounts for about 15% of global shipping traffic.
These are believed to be the first attacks the United States has carried out against the Houthis in Yemen since 2016.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a formal statement detailing the strikes was expected soon.
Earlier on Thursday, the Houthi leader said any US attack on the group would not go without a response.
The Houthis, who have seized much of Yemen during a civil war, have vowed to attack ships linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports. However, many of the targeted ships have had no ties to Israel.
The US military said Thursday that Houthis have fired an anti-ship ballistic missile at international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden, the 27th attack by the group since November 19.
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