US, UK aircraft bomb Houthi-held Ibb as militia claims downing US drone

Update In this file photo taken on November 22, 2016 a US made MQ-9 Reaper military drone. (AFP)
In this file photo taken on November 22, 2016 a US made MQ-9 Reaper military drone. (AFP)
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Updated 08 September 2024
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US, UK aircraft bomb Houthi-held Ibb as militia claims downing US drone

US, UK aircraft bomb Houthi-held Ibb as militia claims downing US drone
  • The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza

AL-MUKALLA: US and UK warplanes have blasted Houthi sites in Yemen’s Ibb province after the Yemeni militia claimed to have shot down a new US drone.

The Houthi-run official news agency reported on Sunday that American and British warplanes carried out three airstrikes on the Maytam region, north of Ibb province, the latest in a series of military operations against the Houthis in response to their attacks on ships.

The Houthis did not provide information on the targeted area in the region, or if there were any human or property damages.

Since early this year, US and UK forces have launched strikes on Houthi-held Yemeni provinces including Sanaa, Saada, Hodeidah, Ibb, and others, targeting missile and drone launchers and storage facilities, as well as explosive-laden drone boats ready to attack ships in international shipping lanes off Yemen.

This comes as Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea claimed on Saturday night that the Yemeni militia had shot down a US military MQ-9 drone engaged in “hostile activities” over the central province of Marib, the eighth such claim since the start of their anti-ship campaign in November.

The Houthis did not immediately publish a video of the operation to back up their claim, something they routinely do hours or days later.

The Houthis earlier claimed to have shot down the same kind of US drone over Hodeidah, Saada, and Marib using locally produced missiles.

Since late last year, the Houthis have launched hundreds of ballistic missiles, drones, and drone boats at over 100 commercial and naval ships in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait, Gulf of Aden, and Indian Ocean, claiming to be acting in solidarity with the Palestinian people against Israel’s war in Gaza.

During their campaign, the Houthis captured one commercial ship, sank two others, and set fire to numerous more.

The Greek-flagged Sounion oil ship carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil is still burning and abandoned in the Red Sea, having been repeatedly struck by Houthi fire.

Rescuers who visited the ship last week determined that it was too dangerous to relocate and looked at various possibilities for defusing the hazard on-site.

At the same time, the EU naval operation in the Red Sea, EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, said on Saturday that its three naval units had defended 230 ships on the major commerce artery, shot down 17 drones, two drone boats, and four ballistic missiles, and rescued 29 sailors since the mission began in February.

In a separate development, the Houthis said on Saturday that lightning bolts had killed 160 people in regions under their control since the beginning of the year, including 22 deaths in strikes during the last two days.

The most recent round of torrential and intense rains, which started in late July, has killed over 100 people, displaced thousands of families, destroyed hundreds of houses, and washed away roads and other infrastructure throughout Yemen, mainly in the country’s central highlands and western coastal provinces.

Meanwhile, heavy fighting between Yemeni government troops and the Houthis has erupted in hilly parts of the southern province of Lahj, killing or injuring numerous combatants from both sides.

Local media reported on Sunday that joint government soldiers from the Security Belt and the Giants Brigades recovered two areas in the Al-Musaymir District of Lahj that had fallen to the Houthis in recent days.

During the fighting, a Yemeni government soldier was killed, as well as an undetermined number of Houthis.

Despite a dramatic decline in hostilities in Yemen since April 2022 under the UN-brokered ceasefire, the Houthis have continued to wage lethal attacks on government soldiers in Taiz, Lahj, Dhale, and Marib.


Two Egyptian pilots killed in helicopter crash in Suez: army

Updated 3 sec ago
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Two Egyptian pilots killed in helicopter crash in Suez: army

Two Egyptian pilots killed in helicopter crash in Suez: army
The Egyptian air force operates aircraft from various countries

CAIRO: Two Egyptian air force officers were killed on Tuesday when a helicopter crashed during a training exercise, the military said.
The helicopter went down near a key air base in the town of Shalufa, in Suez province, “due to a technical malfunction,” military spokesman Gharib Abdel Hafez said in a post on his official Facebook page.
He did not specify the manufacturer or model of the aircraft.
The Egyptian air force operates aircraft from various countries, including France, Russia and the United States.
In November 2022, the military said a fighter jet had crashed during a military exercise but it reported no casualties.
In December 2019, an aircraft crashed during a training exercise. The pilot ejected safely.

US soldier injured during Gaza pier operation has died: military

US soldier injured during Gaza pier operation has died: military
Updated 15 min 57 sec ago
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US soldier injured during Gaza pier operation has died: military

US soldier injured during Gaza pier operation has died: military
  • “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley,” Captain Shkeila Milford-Glover said
  • In addition to the injuries, the project faced other problems starting in May, when the pier was damaged by bad weather and had to be removed for repairs

WASHINGTON: An American soldier has died after being injured during Washington’s problem-plagued operation to establish a temporary aid pier on the coast of Gaza, the US military said Tuesday.
The pier effort aimed to boost deliveries of desperately needed humanitarian assistance into the war-wracked Palestinian territory as Israel held up shipments by land.
But the effort ran into repeated weather issues and the United States ended it in mid-July, some two months after its installation.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley, a recently retired motor transport operator,” Captain Shkeila Milford-Glover, spokesperson for the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, said in a statement.
She did not say when Stanley died or what kind of injury he had sustained, specifying only that the soldier had been receiving treatment in a long-term care facility.
He was one of three US military personnel who suffered non-combat injuries at sea during the pier operation.
The two others suffered minor injuries, a sprained ankle and a hurt back, the military said in May.
In addition to the injuries, the project faced other problems starting in May, when the pier was damaged by bad weather and had to be removed for repairs.
It was then reattached on June 7, but was moved to Ashdod on June 14 to protect it from anticipated high seas — a situation that was repeated later in the month.
US President Joe Biden announced the pier project during his State of the Union address in March as Israel held up deliveries of assistance by land, and the Pentagon has said it helped push the Israeli government to open more aid routes.


Japanese prime minister praises Saudi Arabia’s role in addressing the Gaza crisis

Japanese prime minister praises Saudi Arabia’s role in addressing the Gaza crisis
Updated 31 min 35 sec ago
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Japanese prime minister praises Saudi Arabia’s role in addressing the Gaza crisis

Japanese prime minister praises Saudi Arabia’s role in addressing the Gaza crisis
  • PM Ishiba made the remarks during a telephone summit with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
  • Ishiba stated that he would like to strengthen the strategic partnership between Japan and Saudi Arabia

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba hailed “Saudi Arabia’s leadership on Gaza” and expressed his determination to continue working with the Kingdom to bring stability to the Middle East.

Ishiba made the remarks during a telephone summit with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, during which he expressed his hope that Saudi Arabia would continue to play a leading role in stabilizing the global oil market.

The Foreign Ministry in Tokyo said the crown prince expressed his wish to deepen cooperation with Japan in various fields, including politics, economics, security, and potentially technology transfer and cultural exchange.

Ishiba said he would like Japan and Saudi Arabia to expand cooperation to areas including clean energy, advanced technology, and entertainment.

With 2025 marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Ishiba reiterated his commitment to peace and stability in the region. He stated that he would like to strengthen the strategic partnership between Japan and Saudi Arabia and work even more closely together to promote these values. The crown prince also affirmed his commitment to these goals, stating that Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to its relations with Japan and welcomes further cooperation.

The Foreign Ministry added that both leaders shared their concerns about conflicts in the Middle East and the need for all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint. Ishiba said he appreciated Saudi Arabia’s leadership on Gaza, and the two leaders agreed to continue working closely together to achieve stability in the Middle East.


Syrian state media: Israel attacked town near Lebanon border

Syrian state media: Israel attacked town near Lebanon border
Updated 32 min 42 sec ago
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Syrian state media: Israel attacked town near Lebanon border

Syrian state media: Israel attacked town near Lebanon border

DAMASCUS: An Israeli strike hit a Syrian town near the border with Lebanon on Tuesday, Syrian state media said, less than a week after deadly strikes on the same area.
“An Israeli aggression targeted the industrial zone in Al-Qusayr” in Homs province, the official SANA news agency said. There was no immediate news of casualties or damage.

Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria mainly targeting army positions and Iran-backed fighters including from Hezbollah.
The Israeli military has intensified its strikes on Syria since it launched its war on Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon.
Israeli authorities rarely comment on the strikes, but have repeatedly said they will not allow arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence in Syria.


Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 43,391

Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 43,391
Updated 05 November 2024
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Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 43,391

Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 43,391
  • The toll includes 17 deaths in the previous 24 hours

GAZA STRIP: The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Tuesday that at least 43,391 people have been killed in the year-old war between Israel and Palestinian militants.
The toll includes 17 deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to the ministry, which said 102,347 people have been wounded in the Gaza Strip since the war began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.