SANAA, Feb  10, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - A total of 17 Huthi fighters were killed 
in US strikes, the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group said through its official 
media Saturday, following public funerals in the capital Sanaa.

       "The bodies of a number of martyrs of the nation and the armed and security 
forces who were martyred as a result of the bombing of the American-British 
aggression were carried through Sanaa today in a solemn funeral procession," 
Huthi official media said, listing their names.

       The United States confirmed on Thursday that its military had conducted a 
number of strikes against missile launchers as Huthi fighters prepared to 
launch them against commercial shipping and US warships in the Red Sea.

       The Iran-backed rebels, who control much of war-torn Yemen including the 
port of Hodeida, have been targeting shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden 
in a campaign they say is in support of Palestinians in Gaza, which has been 
ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war.

       US and British forces have responded with strikes against the Huthis, who 
have since declared both country's interests to be legitimate targets as well.