February 24, 2024

2024-02-24 23:34:00

US and British forces have once more attacked Houthi militia positions in Yemen. With the support of other countries, 18 targets of the Iran-backed militia were attacked in eight locations in Yemen on Sunday night, the US Department of Defense announced in Washington on Saturday (local time). The USA and Great Britain responded to the Houthi’s ongoing attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

The Pentagon said the targets included underground Houthi weapons depots, missile depots, drones, air defense systems and radar systems. It is the fourth joint British-US military operation once morest the militia in recent weeks. The Houthis say they are acting in solidarity with the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip and want to force an end to the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip by shelling merchant ships. These are a response to the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7th in the Israeli border area.

The sea route through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal is one of the most important trade routes in the world. Because of the attacks by the Houthi, who are armed by Iran, large shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the shortest sea connection between Asia and Europe. The US carries out almost daily strikes to eliminate Houthi targets, including missiles and drones aimed at ships and weapons prepared to be fired.

In addition to the USA and Great Britain, Australia, Bahrain, Denmark, Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands also supported the military strike on Saturday, it was said. The coalition’s stated goal is to weaken the military capabilities of the militant Islamist Houthi and thus protect the important shipping route. The Houthi attacks are an international challenge, a joint statement said. Since mid-November, the Houthis have carried out more than 45 attacks on commercial and naval vessels.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said they would not hesitate to take further action to protect lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most important waterways. “We will continue to make it clear to the Houthis that they will face the consequences if they do not stop their illegal attacks, which are harming the Middle East economy, causing environmental damage and disrupting the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen and other countries.”

It was only on Saturday that the US military warned of an environmental disaster in the Red Sea following a Houthi rocket attack on a freighter. An almost 30 kilometer long oil slick had formed, said the US regional command Centcom. The ship was at anchor and was slowly filling up with water. The British-registered “Rubymar” was carrying around 41,000 tons of fertilizer that might end up in the Red Sea and worsen an environmental disaster. The ship sails under the flag of Belize.

The EU is also taking part in a military operation in the Red Sea, but this is purely defensive. The German Bundestag gave its starting signal for this on Friday. The German frigate “Hessen” had already set off from Wilhelmshaven towards the operational area a good two weeks ago in order to be able to begin fulfilling its mission immediately following the Bundestag decision. A total of 18 countries are involved in the operation. In addition to Germany, Belgium, Italy and France, among others, are sending ships to the Red Sea.

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