US Airstrikes Target Yemen’s Houthi Rebels, Killing Two

US airstrikes targeting Houthi rebel strongholds in Yemen continued into the early hours of Tuesday, with the rebel organization stating that one of the airstrikes in the capital, Sanaa, left at least two dead and more than a dozen injured. The continuous airstrikes, which have reached their 10th straight day, are focused on Houthi strongholds in a larger campaign to deter the group’s threat to maritime commerce and Israel. The airstrikes are part of US President Donald Trump’s approach to weakening the Houthis as he puts pressure on Iran, their main supporter.

US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz authenticated that important Houthi officials, including their main missile commander, had been eliminated in the airstrikes, but the Houthis have not ratified these assertions. The US hasn’t released any detailed information regarding the targets, but Waltz said the airstrikes targeted Houthi headquarters, communications centers, weapons plants, and even drone manufacturing facilities. In spite of these assertions, the Houthis have mostly brushed off their defeats and still harp on attacking American warships.

Apart from the capital city, American bombs have also focused on other key areas, including the city of Saada, the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, and Marib province. These are important to the Houthi-held areas of Yemen. The use of force intensifies following a Houthi warning to strike “Israeli” vessels, as Israel is accused of blocking deliveries of aid into Gaza. The maritime attacks from the Houthis, which had earlier targeted more than 100 merchant ships, have increased the tension in the area, also escalating the long conflict in Yemen.