UPDATE - Houthi group claims it attacked American aircraft carrier Eisenhower in Red Sea

CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE; UPDATES WITH NEW DEVELOPMENT

By Ikram Kouachi

The Yemeni Houthi group on Friday claimed it targeted the US aircraft carrier Eisenhower in the Red Sea with winged and ballistic missiles.

In a statement, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said: “The missile force and naval force of the Yemeni armed forces conducted a coordinated military operation targeting the American aircraft carrier 'Eisenhower' in the Red Sea using winged and ballistic missiles.”

“The strike was precise and directly hit its target," he added.

There was no immediate comment from the United States regarding the incident.

Earlier on Friday, the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said that at least 16 Yemenis were killed and several others injured as a result of the US and British strikes on Hodeidah city in western Yemen.

Al Masirah report added that 35 others were wounded as a result of the American and British raids on the Hodeidah governorate on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, the group’s leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi stated: “This brutal aggression against Yemen is a punishment for its support of Gaza.”

On Thursday, the US and British forces conducted strikes against 13 Houthi targets in Yemen "in self-defense," according to the United States Central Command (CENTCOM).

Yemen’s Houthi group has been targeting Israeli-linked cargo ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7 last year.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil shipments.

Earlier this year, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a multinational mission, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to counter Houthi attacks.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi