Yemen's Houthis Belittle Impact of U.S. Airstrikes, Vowing to Keep Targeting Israel
The Ansar Allah (Houthi) group's spokesperson, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, reiterated on Saturday that the Yemeni Armed Forces will continue their maritime operations to pressure Israel into ending its aggression on people in Gaza and to end its blockade there. His remarks came hours after the United States and the United Kingdom carried out a new wave of attacks on Yemen. "The latest U.S. strikes on the Yemeni capital Sana'a are a continuation of the attacks being carried out by the United States and Britain in support of Israel. These strikes embolden the occupying Zionist regime to forge ahead with its brutal crimes against Palestinians in Gaza," Abdul-Salam said. He added, "These aggressive attacks will never prevent the Yemeni nation and military from conducting attacks against Israeli-affiliated commercial vessels and ships destined to ports in the Israeli-occupied territories."
The U.S. military said Friday it had struck three underground storage facilities used by Yemen's Houthis as they continue to launch attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. U.S. forces "conducted self-defense strikes against three Houthi underground storage facilities in Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen," Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. It said U.S. forces had also "successfully engaged and destroyed four unmanned aerial vehicles" in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen throughout Friday while also registering four anti-ship ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis toward the Red Sea. "There were no injuries or damage reported by U.S., coalition, or commercial ships," CENTCOM said.
China calls on all parties concerned to make joint efforts to ensure the safety of navigation in the Red Sea, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian said. "The Red Sea is the most important transportation route in terms of trade in goods and energy resources. China calls on all parties concerned to make joint efforts to ensure the safety of navigation in accordance with the law, while sincerely respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states on the shores of the Red Sea," he said. The diplomat pointed out that China "will continue to play a constructive role and promote the early restoration of peace and stability in the Red Sea."
A Panama-flagged crude oil tanker caught fire after being struck by an unidentified projectile off Yemen on Saturday in the latest attack on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The incident happened 23 nautical miles northwest of the Red Sea port of al-Mukha, British maritime security firm Ambrey said. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency also reported the incident, saying the crew extinguished the fire. The vessel and crew were reported safe.
