After carrying out another round of strikes against Houthis, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that Britain will continue to degrade the ability of Houthis to conduct attacks, CNN reported.
Speaking to broadcasters on Tuesday, David Cameron noted that Houthis have carried out more than 12 attacks on shipping in the Red Sea since the UK last took action 10 days ago and called these attacks "illegal and unacceptable."
David Cameron said, "Since we last took action 10 days ago there have been over 12 attacks on shipping by the Houthis in the Red Sea. These attacks are illegal, are unacceptable, and what we've done, again, is send the clearest possible message that we will continue to degrade their ability to carry out these attacks whilst sending the clearest possible message that we back our words and our warnings with action," CNN reported.
David Cameron stated that the UK alongside the latest air strikes will use a "whole set of measures," including the Royal Navy in the Red Sea and sanctions, to put further pressure on the Houthis.
On Monday, four Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s, supported by a pair of Voyager tankers, joined US forces in carrying out strikes against Houthi sites in Yemen, according to a UK Ministry of Defence press release, CNN reported.
It marked the eighth round of attacks by the US military in the past 10 days, CNN reported, citing a joint statement. It was a smaller number than the first joint operation on January 11 which hit more than 30 Houthi targets.
The joint Statement From Australia, Bahrain, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States released by US Department of Defence said, "Today, the militaries of the United States and United Kingdom, at the direction of their respective governments with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, conducted an additional round of proportionate and necessary strikes against 8 Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the Houthis' continued attacks against international and commercial shipping as well as naval vessels transiting the Red Sea."
According to the statement, these precision strikes were intended to "disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade and the lives of innocent mariners." The nations said that the attack was carried out in response to a series of "illegal, dangerous, and destabilizing Houthi actions."
The joint statement reads, "These precision strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade and the lives of innocent mariners, and are in response to a series of illegal, dangerous, and destabilizing Houthi actions since our coalition strikes on January 11, including anti-ship ballistic missile and unmanned aerial system attacks that struck two US-owned merchant vessels."
According to the statement, the strikes carried out on Monday targeted a Houthi underground storage site and locations associated with the Houthis' missile and air surveillance capabilities. It noted that Houthis have carried out over 30 attacks on international and commercial vessels since mid-November and called it "an international challenge."
The statement reads, "Recognizing the broad consensus of the international community, we again acted as part of a coalition of like-minded countries committed to upholding the rules-based order, protecting freedom of navigation and international commerce, and holding the Houthis accountable for their illegal and unjustifiable attacks on mariners and commercial shipping."
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