16 Killed in US, UK Airstrikes in Yemen

British and U.S. airstrikes, jointly executed, aimed at Yemen’s Houthi rebels, resulted in the deaths of a minimum of 16 people and left 42 others injured, as stated by Houthi TV on Friday, 31 May.

According to a statement by the UK’s Ministry of Defense, intelligence reports verified the involvement of two sites near Hudaydah in Houthi anti-shipping activities. Several structures were identified within these locations, where they housed surface-to-air weapons utilized to obstruct coalition efforts aimed at securing shipping routes in the region.

An additional location to the south had also been targeted as being engaged in carrying out Houthi’s anti-shipping operations, the statement added.

Three US officials confirmed that it was a reaction to attacks earlier this week on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by the paramilitary group sponsored by Iran due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

In recent months, the Houthis have intensified their attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

According to the U.S. Maritime Administration, the Houthis have carried out over 50 attacks on shipping since November, resulting in the deaths of three sailors, the seizure of one vessel, and the sinking of another.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has previously indicated that the revenue from the Suez Canal has declined by 40-50 percent this year, suggesting a link to the impact of Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.