US fires sixth round of strikes on Houthis

THE HILL:  The U.S. on Friday launched a sixth round of strikes on the Houthis in Yemen, a U.S. defense official confirmed to The Hill.

F/A-18 fighter jets launched from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier to hit Houthis preparing to fire anti-ship missile launchers, according to The Associated Press.

The U.S. launched strikes nearly every day this week, targeting Houthi operations and capabilities in a mission to protect the Red Sea from the armed militant group backed by Iran.

The near-daily fighting follows an initial round of strikes targeting radar and missile sites last week meant to degrade Houthi operations.

Houthi militants, however, are resisting the bombardments and have responded with an attack after nearly every U.S. strike.

The U.S. struggle to stamp out Houthi operations targeting merchant ships in the Red Sea leaves global trade in disarray, as the militant group has severely disrupted shipping since they began the attacks in late November.

Along with strikes, the U.S. has also deployed a maritime task force to the Red Sea to protect commercial shipping, but several major shipping companies remain skittish. They have avoided the transit route and decided to go around Africa for a much longer trip.

Houthi militants say they will continue to attack targets in the Red Sea so long as Israel continues its war in Gaza against the Palestinian militant group Hamas.