Efe Washington
Washington
Updated Saturday, January 20, 2024-01:05
The United States bombed positions of the Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen this Friday for the second time in 24 hours, announced
John Kirby,
one of the White House spokespersons.
According to the spokesman, US forces carried out
three attacks against two
insurgent targets.
Washington was seeking
to destroy missiles
that the Houthis were going to use to attack ships in the Red Sea, Kirby said.
Specifically, around 6:45 p.m. Sana'a time (3:45 p.m. GMT), US forces detected the missiles in areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen, determined that they were a threat and destroyed them, the Central Command of the United States detailed in a statement. US Army (CENTCOM).
This Friday is the second attack against the Houthis in Yemen in less than 24 hours.
On Thursday, the United States bombed other missiles that were supposed to be used against ships in the
Red Sea.
This is the sixth attack by US forces on the Houthis since the insurgent group began months ago attacking ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al Mandeb Strait that, they claim, are related to Israel or headed towards that country. .
These attacks by the Houthis, supported by Tehran, could have a
great impact on the world economy
because almost 15% of global maritime trade circulates through the Red Sea.
The United States and the United Kingdom launched their first strike against Houthi-related targets in Yemen on January 12, the first
major act of retaliation
against the insurgents for attacks in the Red Sea.
Furthermore, at the diplomatic level, the United States announced this week the
designation of the Houthis as "terrorists",
something that the group considered an "honor."
The Houthis are part of the so-called "Axis of Resistance" orchestrated by Iran to expand its influence in the Middle East.
They began their attacks against merchant ships in retaliation, they say, for Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has left almost 25,000 dead.