Australia has supported an additional round of attacks launched by the United States and United Kingdom against Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
The eight new strikes on Monday were in response to Houthi’s attack on vessels in the Red Sea and targeted underground storage sites, missiles, and other military capabilities.
The Pentagon and the UK released a joint statement along with Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands which all supported the attack according to the statement.
“These precision strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade and the lives of innocent mariners,” the statement said.
It also said the attacks were proportionate and necessary.
The UK has joined the airstrikes for the second time in 10 days, with its defence minister Grant Shapps saying they were in “self-defence” and to degrade Houthi capabilities.
In response to the latest attacks, senior political official and Houthi’s spokesperson Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti said the airstrikes would “only increase the Yemeni people’s determination”.
“The American-British aggression will only increase the Yemeni people’s determination to carry out their moral and humanitarian responsibilities towards the oppressed in Gaza,” he said.
“The war today is between Yemen, which is struggling to stop the crimes of genocide, and the American-British coalition to support and protect its perpetrators.”