AFP journalists heard loud explosions in Sanaa and in the port city of Hodeida.

The rebel Huthi-controlled channel Al-Masirah said strikes also targeted telecoms infrastructure in the town of Taez.

It reported that "several" people were killed or injured in the strikes.

It was not immediately possible to independently verify the claim.

The British defence ministry said in a statement that its planes launched strikes in "a joint operation with US forces against Houthi military facilities to degrade their ability to persist with their attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden".

Since January, the United States and Britain have launched retaliatory strikes on Huthi targets in Yemen in response to attacks on shipping.

The strikes have done little to deter the Huthis, who have vowed to target US and British vessels as well as all ships heading to Israeli ports.

They said on Wednesday that they had attacked a Greek-owned bulk carrier and several other vessels in response to Israeli strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah.