Who are the Houthis and why are the US and UK conducting airstrikes on Yemen? | Newstalk
US and UK forces have carried out air strikes against Houthi rebel targets in Yemen.
It comes after the Iran-backed group began firing missiles at cargo ships in the Red Sea.
The Houthi targets included logistical hubs, air defence systems and arms depots.
The group started targeting ships linked to Israel in October in protest at the war in Gaza, vowing to keep disrupting maritime traffic until the conflict ends.
Yemeni press agency SABA reported attacks took place in the capital Sana’a and the governorates of Sa’dah, Hodeidah, Taiz, and Dhamar.
US officials said the strikes had been carried out by warship-launched Tomahawk missiles as well as fighter jets and a submarine.
In a statement issued shortly after the attacks, US President Joe Biden said: “These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes.”
President Biden said the military action was also supported by Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also said Houthi attacks could not be allowed to stand.
Nasr Aldeen Amer, vice president of the Houthi media authority in Sana’a hit out at what he called ‘a brutal aggression against our country’ by America.
“They will pay absolutely and without hesitation, and we will not back down from our position in supporting the Palestinian people, whatever the cost,” he said.
Houthi official Abdulsalam Jahaf also wrote on social media that “America, Britain and Israel are launching raids”.
“We will discipline them God willing,” he added.
A joint statement by 10 governments issued through the White House reiterated a call for “the immediate end of illegal attacks” and warned that those responsible would be held accountable.
“We will not hesitate to defend lives and protect the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways in the face of continued threats,” it said.
“The Houthis’ more than two dozen attacks on commercial vessels since mid-November constitute an international challenge.
“Today’s action demonstrated a shared commitment to freedom of navigation, international commerce, and defending the lives of mariners from illegal and unjustifiable attacks,” the statement added.
Denmark, Germany, New Zealand and South Korea added their names to the six nations that took part in the joint strikes.
A similar statement last week said: “Ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are illegal, unacceptable, and profoundly destabilizing.
“There is no lawful justification for intentionally targeting civilian shipping and naval vessels.
“Attacks on vessels, including commercial vessels, using unmanned aerial vehicles, small boats, and missiles, including the first use of anti-ship ballistic missiles against such vessels, are a direct threat to the freedom of navigation that serves as the bedrock of global trade in one of the world’s most critical waterways.”
The strikes came after a British warship shot down seven drones in an operation with US naval vessels and jets overnight on Tuesday to repel the largest Houthi drone and missile attack to date.
Credit to : Newstalk