CENTCOM Targets Houthi Base in Sana’a as IDF Preps Possible Strike

Tuesday, 17 December 2024 | American forces carried out an airstrike against a Houthi command and control in Yemen on Monday, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).

“The targeted facility was a hub for coordinating Houthi operations, such as attacks against US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” said CENTCOM.

The strike, which took place in territory controlled by the Iranian terror proxy in Sana’a, “reflects CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment to protect US and coalition personnel, regional partners, and international shipping,” the statement concluded. 

Meanwhile, Channel 12 reported on Monday that Israel’s military was weighing a strike on the Houthis following the downing of a ballistic missile earlier in the day that triggered air-raid sirens in the greater Tel Aviv area.

“Following alerts that were activated a short time ago in central Israel, one missile that was launched from Yemeni territory was intercepted and shot down before it crossed into Israeli territory,” the Israel Defense Forces [IDF] said.

The IDF is preparing for the potential need to conduct another operation in Yemen, following the air force’s bombing of the Houthi-controlled port in Hodeidah on July 20, according to Israel’s Channel 12 News. The military has operational plans in place and the necessary capabilities to carry them out, should the political leadership decide to proceed, according to the report. 

Earlier on Monday, an Israeli navy ship intercepted a Houthi drone over the Red Sea before it crossed into Israeli territory, according to the military. 

Hezam Alasad, a senior member of the Houthis’ political bureau, said in a Hebrew-language X post on Monday night that, “The Israeli enemy will pay a price for its continued brutal aggression and siege on our people in Gaza [and] its attacks and invasions in Syria.” 

On Thursday, the IDF intercepted a Houthi drone headed for the city of Eilat. That UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] likewise did not cross into Israeli airspace.

On December 9, a Houthi drone hit a residential high-rise building in the central Israeli city of Yavne, northeast of Ashdod.

On December 1, a ballistic missile launched from Yemen triggered sirens in the Judean foothills. The missile was intercepted before entering Israeli airspace, the IDF said. Four people were injured running to shelters, according to Magen David Adom [Israel’s national emergency and ambulance service].

In July, a Houthi drone killed a civilian in central Tel Aviv. In response, Israel struck Yemen’s Hodeidah Port.

On September 29, the Israeli Air Force carried out dozens of strikes in the area of Hodeidah. The targets included “power plants and a seaport, which were used by the Houthis to transfer Iranian weapons to the region, in addition to military supplies and oil,” the IDF said.