Statement on air strike against Houthi military facility in Yemen: 29 April 2025
Royal Air Force participates in operation targeting a Houthi military facility in Yemen.
On 29 April 2025, UK forces participated in a joint operation with US forces against a Houthi military target in Yemen. This action was in line with long-standing policy of the UK government, following the Houthis initiating their campaign of attacks in November 2023, threatening freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, striking international ships, and killing innocent merchant mariners.
Careful intelligence analysis identified a cluster of buildings, used by the Houthis to manufacture drones of the type used to attack ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, located some fifteen miles south of Sanaa.
Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s, with air refuelling support from Voyager tankers, therefore engaged a number of these buildings using Paveway IV precision guided bombs, once very careful planning had been completed to allow the targets to be prosecuted with minimal risk to civilians or non-military infrastructure. As a further precaution, the strike was conducted after dark, when the likelihood of any civilians being in the area was reduced yet further. All of our aircraft subsequently returned safely.