Aden, Nov 29 (IANS): The Houthi group announced that American and British fighter jets conducted two airstrikes targeting Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, while claiming that it has seized complete control of maritime navigation in the Red Sea.

The Houthis reported that the US-British airstrikes targeted the Bajil district in Hodeidah province, without providing additional details on the extent of damage and the casualties, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a televised speech aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV on Thursday, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the group's leader, declared Houthi fighters' total effectiveness in preventing Israeli maritime navigation through the Red Sea region.

"During this period, there is no longer any movement of Israeli navigation," al-Houthi said, claiming that no ships, including those belonging to other countries carrying Israeli-bound goods, have been able to traverse the Red Sea area.

Since November 2023, the Houthi group has been conducting missile and drone attacks on what it said were "Israeli-linked" ships in regional waters and beyond, as well as targets in Israel, to show solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that erupted on October 7, 2023.

In response, the US-British naval coalition stationed in the region has since January conducted regular air raids and missile strikes against Houthi targets to deter the group.