NEW YORK, October 4. /TASS/. The US military has carried out strikes on 15 targets in Yemen belonging to Houthi rebels from the Ansar Allah movement, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on the X social media platform.

"US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted strikes on 15 Houthi targets in Iranian-backed Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen today at about 5:00 p.m. (Sanaa time). These targets included Houthi offensive military capabilities," the statement reads.

"These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more·secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels," CENTCOM added.

The Houthi-owned Al Masirah TV channel reported earlier that the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, as well as the cities of Dhamar, Hodeidah and Al-Baidhah, had come under attack.

Following the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Ansar Allah movement said it would strike Israeli territory and prevent ships associated with Israel from passing through the waters of the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait until the operation in the Palestinian enclave was halted. The Houthis have attacked dozens of civilian ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since last November.

In response to the Houthis’ actions, the US authorities announced the establishment of an international coalition and the launch of Operation Prosperity Guardian to ensure freedom of navigation and protection of ships in the Red Sea. Afterwards, the US and the UK started to carry out regular strikes on Houthi military facilities in Yemen.