US bombs Houthi missile facilities that were "ready" to fire

The Houthis denounce attacks by the US and the United Kingdom against Hodeida, Taiz, Dhamar, Al Baida and Saada

The United States Army has confirmed a series of bombings this Thursday morning against missile launch facilities in Yemeni territory controlled by the Houthi rebels and that they were "ready" to fire new shots.

"The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has carried out strikes against 14 Houthi missiles (...) that were ready to be fired (...) These missiles on launch rails presented an imminent threat to merchant ships and US Navy ships in the region, and could have been fired upon at any time, prompting US forces to exercise their inherent right and obligation to defend themselves," reads a statement posted on their social media account formerly Twitter.

In this sense, CENTCOM has reiterated that these actions, together with the operations of the previous days, are affecting the offensive capabilities of the insurgents against ships in the Red Sea and that they will continue to carry them out to "protect the lives of innocent sailors." .

Previously, the Houthis had reported new bombing by the United States and the United Kingdom against their positions shortly after an attack on a US-owned, Marshall Islands-flagged ship transiting the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen.

"The coalition of the United States and the United Kingdom has attacked the Yemeni regions of Hodeida, Taiz, Dhamar, Al Baida and Saada," the Ministry of the Interior's Spokesperson for Security Issues published on its Telegram channel. Last week, London and Washington began a series of bombings against Houthi positions due to the increase in rebel attacks in the Red Sea in retaliation for the bombings in the Gaza Strip.

This Wednesday, Joe Biden's Administration once again designated the insurgents as a terrorist group, which had been removed from this list in February 2021 after recognizing that this designation could have "a devastating impact on Yemenis' access to basic products such as food and fuel."

The Iran-backed Houthis have controlled Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and other areas in the country's north and west since 2015. The group has responded to the Israeli offensive against the Strip by attacking vessels with some connection to Israel -- with more than 25 attacks to date--, including the hijacking of the ship 'Galaxy Leader'.