US Fighter jets pound Houthi stronghold in Yemen

The United States conducted precision strikes on October 16 against five underground weapons storage locations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.

“US forces targeted several of the Houthis’ underground facilities housing various weapons components of types that the Houthis have used to target civilian and military vessels throughout the region,” Austin said.

The attack comes after the US military carried out 15 strikes against targets earlier in October linked to Houthis in Yemen, where residents reported blasts at military outposts and an airport. At the direction of President Joe Biden, Austin said he authorised the targeted strikes to further degrade the Houthis’ capability to continue their “destabilising behaviour” and to protect and defend US forces and personnel “in one of the world’s most critical waterways.”

Houthis in Yemen have carried out nearly 100 attacks on ships crossing the Red Sea since November 2023, acting in solidarity with Palestinians amidst Israel’s year-long genocidal war on Palestine’s Gaza and weeks-long invasion of Lebanon along with attacking some parts in Syria and Iran. US’s attack adds more tension to the already fragile region.