Sanaa, Jan 18 (IANS): The US and the UK bombed Houthi sites in northern Yemen before dawn on Thursday, the media said.

The strikes hit Houthi targets in five provinces, including Hodeidah, the main port on the Red Sea coast controlled by the terror group, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported, without providing more details.

The attack followed the Houthis claim of a missile strike on a US ship in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday night, Xinhua news agency reported.

"In support of Palestinian people and response to the US and British aggression against our country, our naval forces carried out an attack targeting the US ship 'Ginko Picardie' in the Gulf of Aden with a number of missiles, and the strike was accurate and direct," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said on Wenesday on al-Masirah TV.

The US Central Command confirmed the Houthi attack in a statement on Wednesday, adding that the ship was slightly damaged but remained seaworthy and has continued its voyage.

The Houthis have escalated their attacks in the Red Sea since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on October 7, 2023, demanding an end to Israeli attacks and siege on Gaza.

The Houthis have controlled much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, since ousting the internationally recognised Yemeni government in 2014.