Mass protests decry US, UK strikes in Yemen

Hundreds of thousands of Yemenis gathered in the capital, Sana’a, after Friday prayers to protest the attacks by the U.S. and the U.K.

Heavy airstrikes by the U.S. and the U.K. struck Yemen early Friday in response to persistent attacks on the Red Sea by Houthi forces, backed by Iran and expressing solidarity with Hamas.

According to the information received from local sources in Yemen, U.S. and British warplanes carried out airstrikes on some points in Yemen’s Sanaa, Hudaydah and Taiz cities at night.

Images of the airstrikes were shared on social media accounts. However, detailed information about the attacks was not disclosed.

The strikes involved fighter jets and Tomahawk missiles, the U.S. Air Forces Central Command said in a statement.

Sixty targets at 16 Houthi locations were hit by more than 100 precision-guided munitions, read the statement.

The U.S. President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. and U.K. armies hit some targets belonging to the Houthis in Yemen, in retaliation for their attacks in the Red Sea.

“Today, at my direction, U.S. 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,” Biden said in a statement.

Stating that the attacks were a direct retaliation for the Houthis’ actions in the Red Sea, Biden noted that they responded with the international coalition to a series of attacks, the last of which took place on Jan. 9 when the Houthis directly targeted American ships.

Following the Red Sea attacks, Biden described the U.S. and U.K. attacks as a “defensive action” and said he would “not hesitate” to order further military action if necessary.

Drawing attention to both the U.S.-led naval force established in the region against the Houthis and the approach of the international public, Biden reminded the decision taken the day before in the United Nations Security Council, calling for the Houthis to end their attacks.

“Our country was subjected to a massive aggressive attack by American and British ships, submarines, and warplanes,” Hussein al-Ezzi, the rebel group’s deputy foreign minister, said, according to media reports.

On Tuesday, the Houthis launched what the U.K. called their most significant attack yet, with U.S. and British forces shooting down 18 drones and three missiles.

The final straw for the Western allies appeared to come early Thursday when the U.S. military said the Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into a shipping lane in the Gulf of Aden.

It was the 27th attack on international shipping in the Red Sea since Nov. 19, the U.S. military said.

‘American ship was sunk’

“We sank the American ship with our missiles, along with everyone on board,” Houthi Major Gen. Abdul Selam Cahaf said in a post on his social media account.

Al-Ezzi also made a statement following the attacks. “Our country has been subjected to a major attack by American and British ships, submarines, and warplanes. Undoubtedly, the U.K. and the U.S. will have to prepare to pay a heavy price,” he said.

Tens of thousands of people protest against US strikes in Yemen

While the attacks carried out by the U.S. and U.K. were protested by hundreds of thousands of Yemenis, a demonstration of support for Palestine was also held.

Yemenis gathered on Sebin Street in the capital, Sana’a, and protested the airstrikes carried out by the U.S. and the U.K. on Yemen after the Friday prayer. Demonstrators chanted slogans against the U.S., U.K. and Israel and also expressed their support for Palestine.

What happened in the Red Sea

The Houthi rebels launched a series of drones and missiles toward Israel, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians in response to Israel’s bombardment in Gaza.

These attacks endanger trade passage through the Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean to the Red Sea and offers the shortest route between Europe and Asia. The attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and the successive decisions taken by companies are affecting the global economy, as approximately 12% of global trade is carried out via the Suez Canal. The incident has now raised concerns that a new “supply chain crisis” would begin in the economy following the recent tensions.

Houthis have controlled a major part of Yemen since a civil war erupted in the region in 2014 and are part of the Iran-backed “axis of resistance” arrayed against Israel.

Source: Newsroom

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