Who are the Houthis? U.S. and U.K. strikes thrust Iran-backed group into the global spotlight

• U.S. and U.K. forces have carried out airstrikes against Houthi rebel targets in Yemen in response to repeated attacks by the Iranian-backed group on ships in the Red Sea.
• The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah or "Supporters of God," are a militia group named after their founder, Hussein Badr Eddin al-Houthi.
• The group is not internationally recognized as the government of Yemen but it does control large parts of the country.

U.S. and U.K. forces have carried out airstrikes against Houthi rebel targets in Yemen in response to repeated attacks by the Iranian-backed group on ships in the Red Sea.

The U.S. Air Force on Thursday launched strikes on over 60 targets at 16 Houthi militant locations, including missile launch sites, production facilities and radar systems, according to the U.S. Central Command.

It said more than 100 precision-guided munitions were used in the strikes, which reportedly killed at least five people and wounded six.

"U.S. military forces — together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands — successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways," President Joe Biden said.

The strikes come after the Houthis defied a warning to stop targeting international maritime vessels in the Red Sea, which has wreaked havoc on global trade.

The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah or "Supporters of God," are a militia group named after their founder, Hussein Badr Eddin al-Houthi.

Formed in the early 1990s, the Houthi movement seeks to promote the rights of the Zaydi branch of Shiite Islam and rose to prominence as Arab Spring protests swept