Houthi rebels vow retaliation for US-UK airstrikes.

The Houthi forces in Yemen declared that the US-UK airstrikes could not stop them and vowed to retaliate.

"American and British aircraft have carried out 48 airstrikes targeting various areas in Yemen in the past few hours. This operation will not stop our support for the people of the Gaza Strip, and the enemy will also face retaliation and punishment," Yahya Saree, Houthi spokesperson, said today.

Houthi officials did not mention specific retaliatory measures. "We will use escalatory measures to counter the escalation by the enemy," added Nasr al-Din Amer, another Houthi spokesman.

Houthi fighters parade through the streets of Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in October 2023. Photo: AFP

The statements were made after US and British forces conducted an attack on 36 targets at 13 locations in Yemen, including weapons depots and anti-ship missile systems, air defense systems, and radar belonging to Houthi forces. This marks the third time the US and UK have jointly attacked Houthi targets, in addition to a series of airstrikes carried out separately by Washington.

The Houthi rebels intensified their attacks on cargo ships passing through the Red Sea after fighting erupted in the Gaza Strip in early October 2023, in an attempt to pressure Israel to halt its campaign against Hamas, an ally of the Houthis in the resistance axis against Tel Aviv in the Middle East.

The US and its allies have recently abandoned passive defensive tactics in favor of preemptive strikes, destroying Houthi missiles and drones before the armed group can launch them into the Red Sea. Washington is also leading a coalition to protect maritime operations in the Red Sea, as well as seeking to exert diplomatic and financial pressure on the Houthi.

However, these efforts have failed to prevent the campaign of attacks on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea carried out by armed groups in Yemen.

Vu Anh (According to Reuters, AFP )

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