US says Yemen strikes have hit 800 targets, killing hundreds of Houthis


The United States has hit more than 800 targets in Yemen since mid-March, killing hundreds of Houthi rebel fighters, including members of the groupโ€™s leadership, the US military said Sunday.

Washingtonโ€™s forces have hammered the Houthis with near-daily air strikes since March 15 in an operation dubbed โ€œRough Riderโ€, seeking to end the threat they pose to vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and reestablish US regional โ€œdeterrenceโ€.

โ€œSince the start of Operation Rough Rider, USCENTCOM has struck over 800 targets. These strikes have killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders,โ€ the military command responsible for the Middle East said in a statement that provided its most detailed accounting of the operation so far.

โ€œThe strikes have destroyed multiple command-and-control facilities, air defence systems, advanced weapons manufacturing facilities, and advanced weapons storage locations,โ€ CENTCOM said.

Smoke billows from the site of a US air strike in Sanaa, Yemen. Photo: Reuters
Smoke billows from the site of a US air strike in Sanaa, Yemen. Photo: Reuters

Despite the strikes, the Houthis โ€“ who control large swathes of Yemen and have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition backing the internationally recognised government since 2015 โ€“ have continued to claim attacks against both US vessels and Israel.

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