UK, US launch joint ‘after-dark’ attack at Houthi’s drone-making facility in Yemen

The Royal Air Force (RAF), in coordination with the United States, has carried out targeted airstrikes against a Houthi military complex in Yemen, in what the UK government described as a necessary step to protect international shipping lanes threatened by ongoing Houthi aggression in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed on Tuesday (April 29) that RAF Typhoon FGR4 fighter jets struck a drone manufacturing site located approximately 15 miles south of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.

The strike took place after dark, a deliberate choice intended to minimise civilian casualties, according to the UK government. Refuelling support was provided mid-air by Voyager tankers, and all UK aircraft reportedly returned safely to the base.

The facility targeted was identified through what the UK’s Ministry of Defence called “careful intelligence analysis” and is believed to have produced the types of unmanned aerial vehicles used by the exceptionally resilient Iran-aligned Houthi group in recent maritime attacks.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched repeated drone and missile strikes against commercial vessels, often without warning, disrupting global trade and reportedly leading to a 55 per cent drop in shipping traffic through the Red Sea.

John Healey, the Secretary of State for Defence, defended the operation, stressing that it was undertaken to uphold the principle of freedom of navigation. “This government will always act in the interests of our national and economic security,” Healey said in a statement. “We conducted these strikes, supported by the US, to degrade Houthi capabilities and prevent further attacks against UK and international shipping.”

The UK’s intervention is not a standalone action. There is a trend of a broader Western response to the Houthis’ escalating maritime campaign, which has already claimed lives and spurred fears of wider regional instability. Healey noted that the government remains “steadfast in our commitment to reinforcing global stability and protecting British working people,” while praising the professionalism of the UK personnel involved.

With billions of dollars in trade flows now threatened by a conflict that shows little sign of abating, military responses such as these mark a high-stakes effort to restore safe passage through the region.