In Graphics | Who are the Houthis, the militia group attacking ships in the Red Sea?

The US and the UK have initiated military strikes in Yemen in retaliation for weeks of Houthi-led attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

The Houthis have called these attacks “barbaric.”

The Yemeni militant group, which has ties to Iran, has repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperilling shipping in a key route for global trade and energy shipments, according to The Associated Press.

Previously the US had withheld striking back, reflecting larger concerns about upending the shaky truce in Yemen and triggering a wider conflict in the region.

But on Tuesday, the Houthis launched their largest-ever barrage of 18 one-way attack drones, anti-ship cruise missiles and an anti-ship ballistic missile at a host of international commercial vessels and warships in the Red Sea.

In response, the US and UK struck Houthi missile, radar and drone capabilities to degrade the group’s ability to conduct more attacks like Tuesday’s barrage.

Here’s a look at the Houthis and their increasing attacks.

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