According to Reuters, witnesses confirmed explosions at military bases near airports in the capital Sanaa and Yemen's third city Taiz, a naval base at the main Red Sea port Hodeidah and military sites in the coastal Hajjah governorate.
"These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation," said US President Joe Biden.
The Houthis said five of their fighters had been killed in a total of 73 air strikes, and that they would retaliate and continue their attacks on shipping, which they describe as intended to support Palestinians against Israel.
The commander of US air operations in the Middle East, Air Force Lieutenant-General Alex Grynkewich, said 60 targets at 16 separate locations had been hit using more than 100 precision-guided munitions.
A US official said the targets were not just symbolic but intended to weaken the Houthis' ability to attack, "We were going after very specific capability in very specific locations with precision munitions."
In a country only just emerging from nearly a decade of war that brought millions of people to the brink of famine, morning brought long queues at petrol stations from people fearing an extended new conflict with the West.
According to an AP Report, Houthi spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, in a videotaped address on Friday said “American and British enemy bears full responsibility for its criminal aggression against our Yemeni people, and it will not go unanswered and unpunished.” He described 73 strikes hitting five regions of Yemen under Houthi control.
The strikes marked the first US military response on Yemeni soil since attacks on commercial ships of Israeli origins and ships carrying goods to/ from Israel. Houthis have avoided attacking other commercial ships.
President Joe Biden said the strikes were meant to demonstrate that the US and its allies will not tolerate the ceaseless Red Sea attacks. And he said they only made the move after attempts at diplomatic negotiations and careful deliberation.
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