The US and UK have begun carrying out strikes on Yemen in the early hours of Friday local time.
The blasts occurred in Sanaa, Hodeidah and other cities, the Yemen Ansarallah movement said.
The action comes after Washington and London vowed to retaliate against attacks on Israel-bound ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Ansarallah said that they will continue to target ships going to or returning from Israeli ports until Tel Aviv ends its genocidal war on Gaza and allows for critical aid to reach the starving population of the Strip.
These are some of the events that have taken place so far, starting in the early hours of Friday, January 1, with the most recent developments listed first:
03:32 GMT
American and British aircraft targeted Al-Dailami Air Base, north of Sanaa, local Al-Masirah TV station said.
Lebanese news channel Al Mayadden cited its reporter on the ground as saying that the Hodeidah Airport was also targeted.
Fadel Abu Taleb, a senior Houthi official, wrote on X that the bombardment “will not achieve any results and will not be able to discourage the Yemeni people from continuing their support for the Palestinians.”
.@POTUS is violating Article I of the Constitution by carrying out airstrikes in Yemen without congressional approval. The American people are tired of endless war.
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) January 12, 2024
03:01 GMT
Riyadh has called for “restraint” and urged to “avoid escalation.”
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is following with great concern the military operations taking place in the Red Sea and the raids on a number of sites in the Republic of Yemen,” the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement, that was cited in Al-Jazeera.
🚨HAPPENING NOW! Protesters gather in Times Square to say NO to the U.S/U.K bombing of Yemen!
🇾🇪 WE WANT JUSTICE YOU SAY HOW? STOP BOMBING YEMEN NOW!
#StopBombingYemen #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/GdiOnvUN4i
— The People’s Forum (@PeoplesForumNYC) January 12, 2024
02:10 GMT
The strikes targeted “sites associated with Ansarallah’s unmanned aerial vehicle, ballistic and cruise missile, and coastal radar and air surveillance capabilities,” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said. He added that the US reserved the right to “take follow-on actions” to protect its forces.
UK Secretary of Defense Grant Shapps announced that four Eurofighter Typhoon jets “conducted precision strikes on two Houthi military sites.”
#بيان | تتابع المملكة العربية السعودية بقلق بالغ العمليات العسكرية التي تشهدها منطقة البحر الأحمر والغارات الجوية التي تعرضت لها عدد من المواقع في الجمهورية اليمنية pic.twitter.com/ChgJzSaQXB
— وزارة الخارجية 🇸🇦 (@KSAMOFA) January 12, 2024
01:38 GMT
Russia has requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday to discuss the ongoing escalation in Yemen.
Israel has been shooting fishing boats from Gaza every day for almost 20 years to destroy its fishing industry and keep it economically de-developed. Now that the Houthis are giving Israel a taste of its own medicine, the U.S. invokes “freedom of navigation” to attack Yemen.… pic.twitter.com/sG9wD7E09n
— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) January 12, 2024
01:27 GMT
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak released a statement in the early hours of Friday, saying that the Royal Air Force “has carried out targeted strikes against military facilities used by Houthi rebels in Yemen.”
The PM accused Ansarallah of “destabilizing” commercial shipping in the Red Sea. “Their reckless actions are risking lives at sea and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Yemen,” Sunak said.
“This cannot stand,” he added, describing the strikes as “limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defense.”
🇾🇪HAPPENING NOW: Anti-war activists gather outside of the White House to condemn US-led bombing of Yemen pic.twitter.com/dUlCOTg41o
— ANSWER Coalition (@answercoalition) January 12, 2024
01:18 GMT
Yemeni news agency SABA reported that the strikes occurred in the country’s capital Sanaa, as well as the provinces of Saada, Hodeidah, Taiz and Dhamar.
Unverified videos posted to social media show powerful explosions on the ground.
This is the mindset of people in #Yemen 💯 pic.twitter.com/1rTYfFCsru
— Palestine Now (@PalestineNW) January 12, 2024
00:59 GMT
Houthi spokesman Abdulsalam Jahaf claimed that “a number of American and British warships have been hit” during “a major battle in the Red Sea.”
“Whoever is involved, will pay the price,” he wrote on X. “We will not stop our attack until you leave the area.”
Long Live Houthis
Long Live Yemen pic.twitter.com/Azcf8I0D5d— Carlos Latuff (@LatuffCartoons) January 12, 2024
00:44 GMT
US President Joe Biden said that the Western coalition has “successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways.”
“Today’s defensive action follows this extensive diplomatic campaign and Houthi rebels’ escalating attacks against commercial vessels,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
🚨🇺🇸🇾🇪 THE TERRORISTS HAVE HIT YEMEN because Gaza alone wasn’t already enough. pic.twitter.com/PMcP6UKo6K
— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) January 12, 2024
00:32 GMT
Several Western outlets quoted unnamed American and British officials as confirming the strikes. The White House and Downing Street are yet to make official statements on the matter.
The sites in Yemen were targeted by fighter jets and hit with Tomahawk cruise missiles, CNN reported.
Houthi spokesman Abdulsalam Jahaf earlier wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that blasts occurred in Sanaa, Hodeidah and other cities.
(RT, PC, Social Media)
