Five killed, six injured in strikes in Yemen by US, UK: Houthis

Sanaa [Yemen]: At least five rebels were killed and six more were wounded in the strikes by the United States and the United Kingdom in the Red Sea, CNN reported, citing Houthi rebels' military spokesperson, Yahya Sare'e, on Friday.

"As part of its support for continued Israeli crimes in Gaza, the American and British enemy launched a brutal aggression against the Republic of Yemen with 73 raids targeting the capital Sanaa and the governorates of Hodeidah, Taiz, Hajjah and Saada,'' Yahya Saree said.

He then confirmed that five people were killed and six others wounded as a result of the strikes.

The Houthi spokesperson also said that they would continue their recent aggression against commercial ships in the Red Sea.

"The Yemeni armed forces confirm that they will continue to prevent Israeli ships going to the ports of occupied Palestine from navigation in the Arab and Red Seas," CNN quoted Sare'e as saying.

Earlier, Abdul Salam Jahaf, a senior member of the Houthi group, have initiated retaliatory assaults on the warships of the US and the UK in the Red Sea in response to the strikes.

The Houthi deputy foreign minister, Hussein al-Ezzi, meanwhile, issued a dire warning, calling what he described a "blatant act of aggression" and threatening serious consequences for both the United States and Britain", according to CNN.

This comes after the US military forces, along with the United Kingdom with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, successfully carried out strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels.

US President Joe Biden said in a statement that the targeted strikes were a clear message that the escalation of attacks by the Houthi rebels against commercial vessels would not be tolerated.

"Today, at my direction, US military forces--together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands--successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways," President Biden said.

He further said these strikes were in direct response to "Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea, including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history."

Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement that the Royal Air Force has conducted targeted strikes against military facilities used by Houthi rebels in Yemen, terming it "limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence". He added that the UK will always stand up for "freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade."

"Despite the repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis have continued to carry out attacks in the Red Sea, including against UK and US warships just this week."

"This cannot stand. 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 Houthi rebels, who are an Iran-aligned group, started the strikes in retaliation for Israel's Gaza conflict. The Houthis have said that they will not stop attacking until Israel ends the hostilities in Gaza.

Yemen's Houthis have launched several drone and missile attacks at Israel, with most intercepted, since the war started. The Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, after thousands of Hamas terrorists crossed the border and killed scores of Israelis. (ANI)