January 12, Colombo (LNW): In a significant escalation of the conflict in Yemen, a coalition comprising U.S. and UK warplanes, warships, and submarines, supported by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, carried out strikes on more than a dozen locations against the Houthi rebels on Friday (12th). This military action has prompted warnings of severe retaliation from the Houthis, as reported by foreign media.
The strikes targeted various locations, including the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, the main port of Hudaydah, the town of Dhamar, and the Houthi stronghold of Saada in northwestern Yemen. The U.S. President, Joe Biden, justified the military intervention, stating that it was a direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea.
President Biden, in a statement released by the White House, confirmed the successful execution of the strikes conducted in collaboration with the United Kingdom, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands. He emphasized the necessity of these measures to protect freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most crucial waterways and asserted that further actions would be taken as deemed necessary to safeguard international commerce and the safety of their people.
The attacks, carried out by fighter jets and Tomahawk cruise missiles, originated from warships and submarines in the Red Sea. UK Royal Air Force jets flew in from the RAF base in Cyprus, and U.S. aircraft were launched from the aircraft carrier Eisenhower in the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, amidst this global development, the Sri Lanka Navy is preparing to send a warship to the Red Sea on the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, despite facing public opposition to Sri Lanka’s involvement in a conflict perceived by many as not its own.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a public statement affirming that the strikes were “limited, necessary, and proportionate action in self-defense.” The international coalition’s military intervention has raised concerns about the broader implications of the conflict and its potential impact on regional stability.
