Houthis claim latest US-UK Yemen strikes won’t go unanswered as Israel says 21 soldiers killed in Gaza - live

Attack comes 10 days after first US-UK retaliatory airstrikes against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen

Biden and Sunak spoke about Red Sea attacks, Gaza on phone call, according to White House

Houthi rebels have vowed that the latest round of US and UK strikes against them in Yemen will no go unanswered - as their allies Hamas killed nearly two dozen Israeli soldiers in Gaza.

The US launched their eighth attack on Houthi positions in western Yemen overnight, firing up to 30 munitions. UK defence secretary Grant Shapps said four Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoons were involved in the strikes.

Mohammad Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthi’s supreme revolutionary committee wrote on X, after the joint strikes by the US and the UK: “Trust well that every operation and every aggression against our country will not be without a response”.

It comes as 21 soldiers have been killed  in the Gaza Strip in the deadliest attack on Israel’s forces since the 7 October Hamas raid that triggered the war, the military has said.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned the soldiers but vowed to press ahead with the offensive until "absolute victory" over Hamas was achieved.

The soldiers were killed after a militant fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a tank stationed next to two buildings being prepared for demolition. The area was packed with explosives.

Key Points

• UK and US launch fresh airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen
• Cameron: Strikes show UK ‘backs up words with action’
• Houthi leader promises ‘response’ to latest airstrikes
• UK defence secretary says latest round of airstrikes ‘deal another blow’ to Houthis
• MoD says four Royal Air Force Typhoons and two Voyager tankers used in joint airstrikes against Houthis

[23 January 2024 04:45 · Maroosha Muzaffar]

UK defence secretary says latest round of airstrikes ‘deal another blow’ to Houthis

UK defence secretary Grant Shapps said the latest round of air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen were in “self-defence” and would “deal another blow” to the Iranian-backed militants.

It is the UK’s second participation in a joint operation with the US against the Houthis.

Mr Shapps said: “Dangerous Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea have continued to threaten the lives of sailors and disrupt shipping at an intolerable cost to the global economy. Along with our US partners, we have conducted a further round of strikes in self-defence.”

He added: “Aimed at degrading Houthi capabilities, this action will deal another blow to their limited stockpiles and ability to threaten global trade. Alongside our ongoing diplomatic efforts, we will continue to support regional stability across the Middle East, working hand in hand with our like-minded partners.”

The MoD said that four Royal Air Force Typhoons and a pair of Voyager tankers were involved in the latest military strike, which it said saw multiple targets hit at two military sites near the Sanaa airfield in Yemen.

[23 January 2024 04:18 · Maroosha Muzaffar]

UK and US launch fresh airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen

The UK and the US have launched fresh airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

Officials say the joint operation by British and American warplanes took out Houthi missile storage sites and launchers, in the second set of coordinated strikes against the Iran-backed militants since they began attacking international shipping in the Red Sea.

In a joint statement, the governments of the US, UK, Bahrain, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands said the “precision strikes” were “intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade and the lives of innocent mariners”.

US Central Command also said the strikes targeted “areas in Houthi-controlled Yemen used to attack international merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region,” including such specific targets as “missile systems and launchers, air defence systems, radars, and deeply buried weapons storage facilities”.

The joint airstrikes follow a telephone conversation between prime minister Rishi Sunak and US president Joe Biden on Monday evening, with the two leaders undertaking to “continue efforts alongside international partners to deter and disrupt” attacks by Houthis.