Sanaa, Jan 12 (NationPress) The Houthi faction of Yemen declared in a statement that it conducted a recent missile and drone assault on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the northern Red Sea over the past 24 hours, claiming the operation endured for nine hours.

"This marks the fifth occasion we have targeted the aircraft carrier since its arrival in the Red Sea," stated Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea during a broadcast on Houthi-operated al-Masirah TV on Saturday night.

"The operation successfully achieved its objectives and compelled the aircraft carrier to exit the operational area and retreat to the far northern region of the Red Sea," he added.

The intent behind the assault was to express support for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and retaliate against the recent US-British-Israeli airstrikes on Houthi positions in northern Yemen that occurred on Friday, Sarea confirmed, pledging to initiate further strikes against Israel until "aggression against Gaza ceases, and the blockade is lifted."

On Friday afternoon, Israel reported it executed a joint airstrike in collaboration with the US-led naval coalition, targeting a power facility along with two ports located in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, Amran province, and the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, as per reports from Xinhua news agency.

Al-Masirah noted one fatality and nine injuries resulting from Friday's strikes.

The Houthis have maintained control over a significant portion of northern Yemen since late 2014, when they ousted the internationally recognized Yemeni government from the capital, Sanaa.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have been conducting rocket and drone assaults on Israel and disrupting shipping linked to Israel in the Red Sea in solidarity with the Palestinians during their ongoing conflict with Israelis.

In retaliation, Israel has executed multiple airstrikes targeting Houthi positions. Additionally, the US-led naval coalition present in the region has been carrying out regular air raids and strikes on Houthi sites since January 2024 in a coordinated effort to deter the armed group, leading the Houthis to extend their attacks to include US warships.