SANAA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Houthi-controlled al-Masirah TV reported on Friday that at least 16 people were killed and 35 others injured in airstrikes launched by a U.S.-British coalition on the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Thursday evening.
Hodeidah health authorities attributed the casualties to strikes on the Hodeidah Radio building and the Salif port, according to al-Masirah.
This follows a previous report by the channel, claiming U.S. and British warplanes targeted Houthi-held Sanaa, Hodeidah, and Taiz province on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command said on Friday morning that U.S. forces shot down eight Houthi drones on Thursday, followed by a British airstrike on 13 Houthi facilities "in self-defense."
In addition, U.S. media, citing military officials, reported that American and British fighter jets and warships attacked multiple Houthi targets on Thursday, including underground facilities, missile launchers, command posts, ships, and drones, in response to recent Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The British Ministry of Defense also confirmed in a statement joint operations with U.S. forces to target Houthi military facilities linked to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden attacks. They also conducted a joint strike on three Houthi drone and ground-to-air weapon storage sites in Hodeidah.
On Wednesday, the Houthi group claimed attacks on six cargo ships in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and the Mediterranean that had called on Israeli ports. They additionally claimed to have downed a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone. ■
