Strikes on Yemen aim to weaken military capability of Houthis
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak (photo: Getty Images)
The British aviation carried out targeted strikes on military facilities used by the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The aim of these strikes is to weaken the military capabilities of the insurgents, states the Prime Minister of Britain, Rishi Sunak.
"The Royal Air Force has carried out targeted strikes against military facilities used by Houthi rebels in Yemen. In recent months, the Houthi militia have carried out a series of dangerous and destabilising attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea, threatening UK and other international ships, causing major disruption to a vital trade route and driving up commodity prices," said Sunak.
Despite repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis continued to target the Red Sea.
"The United Kingdom will always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade. We have therefore taken limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence, alongside the United States with non-operational support from the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain against targets tied to these attacks, to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping," he added.
The British Prime Minister also noted that the Royal Navy will continue to patrol the Red Sea as part of the multinational operation Guardian of Prosperity to deter further Houthi aggression.
Strikes by the United States and allies on Houthi bases in Yemen
The United States and Britain conducted a series of airstrikes overnight on January 12, targeting weapons storage centers and training bases used by Houthi rebels in Yemen. According to reports, American and British aircraft, as well as Tomahawk missiles launched from U.S. Navy ships in the Red Sea, carried out the strikes against the Houthi group in western Yemen.
President Joe Biden soon confirmed the airstrikes, stating that they were a direct response to the unprecedented attacks by the Houthis on international maritime vessels in the Red Sea, including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles.
The reason for the airstrikes was the Houthi aggression against ships in the Red Sea. In November 2023, the Houthis began attacking ships in the Red Sea, and on December 16, a British destroyer shot down a drone heading towards a commercial vessel.
