In joint air strikes carried out by the US and UK, a total of 36 targets of the Houthi militia were hit in Yemen on Saturday (Feb 3). This comes in addition to the US shooting down eight drones near Yemen a day before while the nation thwarted the launch of four others by destroying them.
A joint statement was issued from Australia, Denmark, Canada, Bahrain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and US on additional strikes against the Houthis in Yemen in connection to the Saturday (Feb 4) strikes.
US and UK with assistance from the above-mentioned countries “conducted an additional round of proportionate and necessary strikes against 36 Houthi targets across 13 locations in Yemen in response to the Houthis’ continued attacks against international and commercial shipping as well as naval vessels transiting the Red Sea.”
A day earlier, on Friday (Feb 3) US, which lost three of its troops in Jordan on January 28 allegedly to Iran-linked militia, the country hit back and targeted several targets in Iraq and Syria.
US and UK, along with other involved nations in the February 3 attack, said that the objective of these targeted “precision strikes” is to interrupt and diminish the capabilities of Houthis which jeopardise global trade and also pose a threat to the lives of seafarers.
The joint statement also said that the strikes were “in response to a series of illegal, dangerous, and destabilizing Houthi actions since previous coalition strikes on January 11 and 22, 2024, including the January 27 attack which struck and set ablaze the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker M/V Marlin Luanda.”
Watch | Over 40 killed as US unleashes airstrikes on Iranian proxies in Iraq & Syria
Earlier, after the killing of US soldiers, President Joe Biden approved air strikes against Iran-affiliated targets in Iraq and Syria. The US strikes received condemnation from all quarters – Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said, “We will not start any war, but if anyone wants to bully us they will receive a strong response.”
Iraq denounced the attacks as a “violation of Iraqi sovereignty.” Meanwhile, Syria said, “What (the US has) committed has served to fuel conflict in the Middle East in a very dangerous way.”
(With inputs from agencies)
