Houthis vow to respond after US,UK strike hit 36 targets in Yemen

The Houthis have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea since November

In Summary
  • According to the Houthis, 48 strikes took place in the space of a few hours and targeted the capital Sana'a as well as other locations.
  • In a joint statement, the US, the UK and other countries providing support for the operation said the third round of strikes hit "36 Houthi targets across 13 locations in Yemen".
Houthi rebels
Houthi rebels
Image: HANDOUT

The Houthis have vowed to respond to US and British strikes after dozens of targets of the Iran-backed group were hit in retaliation for repeated attacks on vessels passing through the Red Sea.

A spokesperson for the rebel group said on X this third round of joint UK-US strikes would not deter them from their "moral, religious and humanitarian stance" in support of Palestinians.

The Houthis have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea since November.

An estimated 15 per cent of global trade passes through the Red Sea every year, worth more than $1tn (£790bn). Many shipping firms have begun avoiding the area and are using a much longer route around southern Africa instead.

According to the Houthis, 48 strikes took place in the space of a few hours and targeted the capital Sana'a as well as other locations across the country. There have not yet been any reported casualties.

In a joint statement, the US, the UK and other countries providing support for the operation said the third round of strikes hit "36 Houthi targets across 13 locations in Yemen".

The Houthis in Yemen, who are backed by Iran, started targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea in November, disrupting global supply chains.

The Houthis say they are targeting Israeli-linked ships in solidarity with the Palestinians; however, many attacked vessels have had no connection to Israel

UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the latest strikes were "not an escalation", and the Houthis' attacks on vessels in the Red Sea were "illegal and unacceptable"

The joint strikes come after the US targeted 85 locations in Syria and Iraq on Friday in response to a deadly drone attack on a US military base in Jordan

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