Ladybbird

Britain Joins US in Fresh Strikes Against Houthi Forces in Yemen

36 targets are blasted in THIRD wave of attacks to 'protect innocent lives' says Grant Shapps - as he insists bombing runs are 'not an escalation' of Red Sea crisis

MailOnline 4 FEB 2024





Britain said it engaged in another wave of 'proportionate and targeted strikes'





































MADMEN FANATICS









Britain last night joined the US in a fresh wave of strikes against Houthis in Yemen - with at least 36 targets blasted in the third set of attacks to 'protect innocent lives', Grant Shapps has said.



The UK said on Saturday it had engaged in another wave of 'proportionate and targeted strikes' against Iran-linked Houthi militants.

The attacks are meant to further disable Iran-backed groups that have relentlessly assaulted American and international interests with drones and missiles in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.

Defence Secretary Mr Shapps insisted the bombings are 'not an escalation' of the Red Sea crisis and claimed the latest strikes will have further degraded the Houthis' capabilities.

'The Houthis' attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea are illegal and unacceptable and it is our duty to protect innocent lives and preserve freedom of navigation,' he said.

'That is why the Royal Air Force engaged in a third wave of proportionate and targeted strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen.



'We acted alongside our US allies, with the support of many international partners, in self-defence and in accordance with international law.'




The Houthi targets were in 10 different locations, and were struck by U.S. F/A-18 fighter jets from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and by American warships firing Tomahawk missiles from the Red Sea, the U.S. officials said.

Later, Britain's Ministry of Defence confirmed RAF Typhoon FGR4s were supported by Voyager tankers during the joint mission with Washington, with more than 30 sites across 13 locations hit by coalition forces, according to a joint statement by the eight nations involved.

The coalition reiterated its warning to Houthi leadership, saying 'we will not hesitate to continue to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world's most critical waterways'.

Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron has vowed to hold Iran to account for the actions of its proxy groups, such as the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iraqi government spokesperson Bassim al-Awadi said in a statement Saturday that the strikes in Iraq near the Syrian border killed 16, including civilians, and there was 'significant damage' to homes and private properties.

A U.S. official said Saturday that an initial battle damage assessment showed the U.S. had struck each of its planned targets, in addition to a few 'dynamic targets' that popped up as the mission unfolded.

These new targets included a surface-to-air missile site and drone launch sites. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that were not yet public, did not yet have a casualty assessment.

Iraq´s foreign ministry announced Saturday it would summon the U.S. embassy´s chargé d´affaires - the ambassador being outside of the country - to deliver a formal protest over U.S. strikes on 'Iraqi military and civilian sites.'

The U.S. said Friday it had informed Iraq of the impending strikes before they started.

Iran, meanwhile, has attempted to distance itself from the attack, saying that the militias act independently of its direction.




Iraqi spokesperson al-Awadi condemned the strikes as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, particularly since some of them targeted facilities of the Population Mobilization Forces.




An Army carry team loads the transfer case containing the remains of the three military servicemembers, whose deaths have triggered several waves of retaliatory strikes