The United Kingdom will continue to “reduce” the Houthis' “ability” to carry out attacks in the Red Sea, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron warned on Tuesday, following new bombings by London and Washington against the Yemeni rebels.
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“Since we took action 10 days ago, the Houthis have carried out more than 12 attacks on ships in the Red Sea,” the British minister told reporters, calling the attacks “illegal” and “unacceptable.”
“What we have done again is to send the clearest message that we will further limit (the Houthis’) ability to carry out these attacks,” the minister said. “Our words and warnings are followed by action,” said David Cameron.
American and British forces carried out new bombings in Yemen on Monday night against the Houthi rebels, who still say they are “determined” to continue their attacks in the Red Sea in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
“Today’s attacks specifically targeted a Houthi underground camp and Houthi missile and air surveillance facilities,” the U.S. and British forces said in a joint statement.
Washington and London said they had targeted eight Houthi targets, said the press release, which was also signed by Canada, Australia, Bahrain and the Netherlands, which “supported” the operation without taking direct part in it.
This is the second joint operation by the American and British armies against the Houthis since the beginning of January.
According to the Houthi news agency Saba, the American-British forces targeted the capital Sanaa and several provinces in the country. And according to the Houthi channel Al-Masirah, the attacks targeted the Al-Dailami military base north of Sanaa.
The Houthi rebels control much of Yemen after nearly a decade of war against government forces backed by Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis, who say they support the people of the Gaza Strip, which is under complete siege by Israel and facing a humanitarian catastrophe, claimed responsibility Monday for an attack on an American military ship.