Yemen's Houthis vow more operations against Israel despite U.S., British airstrikes

SANAA, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi rebels said Saturday that the recent airstrikes on their positions by the United States and Britain will not deter them from continuing their attacks on Israel, vowing to launch more strikes soon.

In a statement, the rebels, who control much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, denounced the airstrikes as a violation of Yemen's sovereignty and a "blatant aggression" in support of Israel.

The Houthi group vowed to continue its military operation against the "Israeli enemy" in the statement carried by the state-run Saba news agency.

A U.S. Navy destroyer fired a Tomahawk cruise missile before Saturday dawn at a radar site in northern Sanaa, according to the U.S. Central Command. The strike followed a series of similar attacks by the U.S. and British naval and air forces a day earlier.

The U.S. and Britain said their strikes were aimed at deterring the Houthi group from launching further attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, a vital waterway for global trade.

The rebel group has recently intensified attacks on what it called "Israeli-linked ships" passing through the Red Sea to show support for the Palestinians and to pressure Israel to end its attacks and blockade on the Gaza Strip.