US, UK Strike Houthi Targets in Yemen; Misinformation Circulates Online

Images falsely claimed to show aftermath of strikes actually depict older incidents, including a 2015 explosion in China and a 2012 attack in Saudi Arabia.

• US and UK militaries launched a massive strike against Houthi targets in Yemen on January 11, 2024, in retaliation for repeated Houthi attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea.
• Images circulating on social media claiming to show the aftermath of these strikes are false. They depict older incidents, including an explosion at a warehouse in Tianjin, China, in 2015, and an attack on an oil depot in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2022.
• The 2022 attack on the Saudi oil depot was carried out by the Houthi rebel group, causing fires in two petroleum storage tanks but no casualties.
• Despite the misinformation, the strikes on Yemen have been confirmed by multiple sources, including the US Air Force's Mideast command, which claimed to have struck more than 60 sites of the Iran-backed Houthi militant group.
• The Houthi rebel group controls large parts of Yemen and has been involved in a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities.

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