An F/A-18 Super Hornet launches from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower on Jan. 12, 2024, to target Iranian-backed Houthi militant sites in Yemen, in a screenshot from a video posted by U.S. Central Command.  (U.S. Central Command)

WASHINGTON – U.S. and Britain forces struck 13 Houthi targets in Yemen on Thursday as a response to a recent surge in attacks by the Iran-backed militants on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, according to U.S. Central Command.

U.S. forces destroyed eight drones in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and over the Red Sea. In addition, U.S. and British forces conducted 13 strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

“It was determined that these [drones] and sites presented a threat to U.S. and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X. “These actions are necessary to protect our forces, ensure freedom of navigation, and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition and merchant vessels.”

American and British fighter jets and U.S. ships hit a wide range of underground facilities, missile launchers, command and control sites, a Houthi vessel and other facilities, The Associated Press reported, citing officials.

The strikes come a day after a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone went down in Yemen. The Houthis released footage showing the aircraft being targeted with a surface-to-air missile in a desert region of Yemen’s central Marib province. It marked the third-such downing this month, according to the AP.

The latest strike is the fifth time since Jan. 12 that U.S. and British forces conducted a combined operation against the Houthis. The U.S. has been carrying out almost daily strikes to take out Houthi targets, including incoming missiles and drones aimed at ships and weapons prepared to be launched.

The coordinated strikes began in January shortly after the White House and other nations issued a final warning to the Houthis to stop attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea or face potential military action.