In a recent statement, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi movement, declared that 37 Yemenis have lost their lives with an additional 30 injured due to US-British airstrikes on Yemen since the beginning of January this year. The televised speech, broadcasted by the Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV, detailed that these casualties occurred amidst 424 air and sea attacks as the aggression nears its third-month mark.
The Houthi leader honored the deceased as martyrs, stating they died “in the path of God, and in a noble stance in the battle of the promised victory and the holy jihad.” Al-Houthi emphasized the failure of the US and UK to deter or limit the group’s operations, praising the significant achievements of their forces in the face of foreign intervention.
#### Escalation in Naval Engagements
On the flip side, the Houthi leadership has admitted to targeting 90 Israeli, American, and British ships navigating through the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean since their operations began last November. The group claims a total of 34 military operations within a single month, utilizing 125 ballistic and cruise missiles, along with drones, highlighting the extended reach of their retaliatory attacks to Eilat (Um Rashrash), in southern occupied Palestine.
In solidarity with Gaza, which is currently facing a devastating Israeli offensive supported by the US, the Houthis have targeted Israeli or Israeli-affiliated cargo ships in the Red Sea. They reaffirm their commitment to continuing these operations until the cessation of the war on the Gaza Strip.
Since the start of the year, Washington-led coalition forces have launched airstrikes targeting alleged Houthi positions across Yemen. These actions are responses to Houthi assaults in the Red Sea, prompting intermittent retaliations from the group.
With the involvement of Washington and London, the conflict escalated significantly in January, leading the Houthi group to declare all American and British ships as legitimate military targets.
