U.S., U.K. strikes on Houthis kill 16, injure dozens more

A spokesman for the Houthi rebels, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, on Friday reported that the 16 deaths and 41 injuries from the strikes included civilians as well as combatants. He reported that the strikes hit several locations in Sanaa, Haifan, and elsewhere. He said that in response to the strike, the Houthi rebels carried out a series of strikes against the U.S.S. Eisenhower, a U.S. aircraft carrier in the region. Saree claimed that the strike was accurate and struck the carrier.

What did the United States have to say about all this? U.S. Central Command reported that its strike destroyed eight unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, and that the U.S.-U.K. joint strike hit just over a dozen Houthi-controlled locations. The United States said it had determined that the UAVs it destroyed posed a clear threat to its forces and merchant vessels in the region. U.S. forces did not confirm whether the U.S.S. Eisenhower had suffered damage, and Reuters cites an unidentified official who said they were unaware of any attack against the vessel.

Dig deeper: Read A.S. Ibrahim’s column in WORLD Opinions discussing who the Houthi rebels are.