UK and US target Houthi positions

By Nathan Morley

Overnight strikes by air and sea targeted 16 Houthi positions including command centres, munitions depots and air defence system.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that the UK, alongside the United States, carried out airstrikes against Houthi military facilities in Yemen.

Local media reports the Royal Air Force jets used in the mission flew from RAF Akrotiri on the western coast of Cyprus.

The strikes came in reply to a series of dangerous and de-stabilising attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea which posed a threat to British and other international ships.

As of Friday, the Royal Navy continues to patrol the Red Sea as part of the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian. Australia, Canada, Holland and Bahrain provided support as part of the mission.

Speaking during a visit to Ukraine, Sunak said: "I made the decision with allies to take what I believe to be necessary, proportionate and targeted action against military targets to degrade and disrupt Houthi capability.”

Earlier, Yemen's Houthi group claimed that five of its combatants were killed during the strikes, whilst six others were wounded.

It added that the airstrikes hit 73 targets.