The joint strike comes after an alleged US attack on a detention center holding African migrants that reportedly killed dozens
The UK has begun to support the US in attacking Yemen’s Houthi militia. The British Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday its forces had conducted joint airstrikes against what it claimed was a Houthi-controlled military facility.
The development came against the backdrop of Houthi-linked reports stating that another US attack hit a migrant detention center, resulting in dozens of civilian deaths. At least 68 African migrants were killed in the strike on the facility on Monday, the militia’s Al Masirah TV Channel reported, adding that 47 people were injured. A US defense official said that the nation’s military were aware of the claims about civilian casualties.
US President Donald Trump launched a large-scale air and naval strike campaign against Yemen-based Houthi targets last month to protect shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks.
According to London, Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon fighter jets and US warplanes struck a “cluster of buildings” located about fifteen miles south of the capital, Sanaa, on Tuesday. The facility was reportedly used by the Houthis to manufacture drones for attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis have been targeting vessels they associate with Israel as part of a strategy to pressure West Jerusalem over its military operations in Gaza. Israel launched its campaign following a deadly raid by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in October 2023.
The rebel group controls western Yemen, including the capital and the strategic port of Hodeidah. In support of the Palestinians in Gaza, the Houthis have launched kamikaze drones and missiles at commercial ships and fired ballistic missiles at Israel. They have stated they will halt their attacks once Israel ends its campaign against Hamas.
President Trump has instructed the Pentagon to intensify strikes in Yemen, warning that the Houthis will be “completely annihilated” if they do not stop targeting shipping in the Red Sea.
