US, UK strike Houthi sites in Yemen amid surge in Red Sea attacks by the rebels

The U.S. and the U.K. hit 18 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday in response to a recent surge in attacks by the Iran-backed militants on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The bombings focused on military targest in eight locations in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, the U.S. Defense Department said in a statement. The targets included Houthi underground weapons storage facilities, missile storage facilities, drones and air defense systems, according to the statement.

U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said the airstrikes were intended "to further degrade Houthi drones and launchers used mount their dangerous attacks."

Earlier this week, the spokesperson for the Houthis said the militants shot down a U.S. drone and damaged a Belize-flagged, British cargo ship in their latest assaults against commercial vessels. “The ship suffered catastrophic damage and came to a complete halt,” Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sare'e said on social media. “As a result of the extensive damage the ship suffered, it is now at risk of potential sinking in the Gulf of Aden.”

Since November, the Houthi rebels have launched more than 30 attacks on commercial and naval vessels in the Red Sea in protest against Israel’s war on Gaza.

In retaliation, U.K. and U.S. military have been carrying out targeted air and missile strikes against the Iran-backed militants.

In a statement on Saturday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said: “We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that they will bear the consequences if they do not stop their illegal attacks, which harm Middle Eastern economies, cause environmental damage, and disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen and other countries.”

Iran's foreign ministry in a statement accused the U.S. and the U.K.  of "seeking to escalate tensions and crises in the region."