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Washington Strikes Houthis in Hajjah in Response to Naval Escalation

A British cargo ship was targeted in a Houthi missile attack in the Gulf of Aden. dpa
A British cargo ship was targeted in a Houthi missile attack in the Gulf of Aden. dpa
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Washington Strikes Houthis in Hajjah in Response to Naval Escalation

A British cargo ship was targeted in a Houthi missile attack in the Gulf of Aden. dpa
A British cargo ship was targeted in a Houthi missile attack in the Gulf of Aden. dpa

The US responded to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea by striking their positions in Yemen’s northwestern province of Hajjah on Friday.

This follows the Houthis claiming responsibility for targeting a new cargo ship and executing their first attack with explosive boats.

As the Iran-backed group mobilized for rallies and demonstrations in response to leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi, its sites in the Al-Jarah district of Hajjah province were hit by seven airstrikes.

In the Al-Jarah region, a Yemeni army camp seized by the Houthis is suspected to be a base for launching missiles and drones. The US military has not provided details yet.

Concerns are rising among Yemeni observers and government officials about the Houthis escalating naval attacks by deploying sea mines heavily in the Red Sea. There are also fears of targeting communication cables.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said an aerial drone was downed over the Gulf of Aden, which sits between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, around 5 a.m on Feb.1. local time (0200 GMT).

No injuries were reported.

Later in the day, around 10:30 a.m local time (0200 GMT), US forces struck and destroyed an unmanned Houthi-affiliated surface vessel in the Red Sea.

The boat was heading towards the international shipping lane, posing a threat to commercial and US naval vessels. In self-defense, it was detonated, causing significant secondary explosions. No injuries or damages were reported.

US CENTCOM also said that two anti-ship ballistic missiles were launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen at around 12:45 p.m local time on Feb.1 against the Liberian-flagged container ship “Koi.”

“The missiles impacted in the water without hitting the ship. There were no injuries and no damage reported to the M/V Koi or coalition ships in the area,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

Since Nov. 19, Iran-backed Houthis have carried out around 38 sea attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

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US Determines Sudan's RSF Committed Genocide, Imposes Sanctions on Leader

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, attends a meeting of representatives of the tripartite mechanism in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on June 8, 2022. (AFP)
Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, attends a meeting of representatives of the tripartite mechanism in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on June 8, 2022. (AFP)
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US Determines Sudan's RSF Committed Genocide, Imposes Sanctions on Leader

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, attends a meeting of representatives of the tripartite mechanism in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on June 8, 2022. (AFP)
Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, attends a meeting of representatives of the tripartite mechanism in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on June 8, 2022. (AFP)

The United States determined on Tuesday that members of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias committed genocide in Sudan and it imposed sanctions on the group's leader over a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes.

The moves deal a blow to the RSF's attempts to burnish its image and assert legitimacy - including by installing a civilian government- as the paramilitary group seeks to expand its territory beyond the roughly half of the country it currently controls.

The RSF rejected the measures.

"America previously punished the great African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, which was wrong. Today, it is rewarding those who started the war by punishing (RSF leader) General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, which is also wrong," said an RSF spokesman when reached for comment.

The war in Sudan has produced waves of ethnically driven violence blamed largely on the RSF. It has also carried out mass looting campaigns across swathes of the country, arbitrarily killing and sexually assaulting civilians in the process.

The RSF denies harming civilians and attributes the activity to rogue actors it says it is trying to control.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement the RSF and aligned militias had continued to direct attacks against civilians, adding they had systematically murdered men and boys on an ethnic basis and had deliberately targeted women and girls from certain ethnic groups for rape and other forms of sexual violence.

The militias have also targeted fleeing civilians and murdered innocent people escaping conflict, Blinken said.

"The United States is committed to holding accountable those responsible for these atrocities," Blinken said.

Washington announced sanctions on the leader of the RSF, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, barring him and his family from travelling to the US and freezing any US assets he might hold. Financial institutions and others that engage in certain activity with him also risk being hit with sanctions themselves.

It had previously sanctioned other leaders, as well as army officials, but had not sanctioned Dagalo, known as Hemedti, as attempts to bring the two sides to talks continued.

Such attempts have stalled in recent months.

"As the overall commander of the RSF, Hemedti bears command responsibility for the abhorrent and illegal actions of his forces," the Treasury said.

Sudan's army and RSF have been fighting for almost two years, creating a humanitarian crisis in which UN agencies struggle to deliver relief. More than half of Sudan's population faces hunger, and famine has been declared in several areas.

The war erupted in April 2023 amid a power struggle between the army and RSF ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule.

Blinken said in the statement that "both belligerents bear responsibility for the violence and suffering in Sudan and lack the legitimacy to govern a future peaceful Sudan."

The US has sanctioned army leaders as well as individuals and entities linked to financing its weapons procurement. Last year, Blinken accused the RSF and the army, which has carried out numerous indiscriminate air strikes, of war crimes.