London, Thanasis Gavos

With two pairs of Typhoon FGR4 aircraft that took off from the Akrotiri base in Cyprus, the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom participated in the US-led strikes against Houthi rebel targets in Yemen.

The aircraft, supported by a Voyager aerial refueling aircraft, used Paveway IV guided missiles for the “precision” strikes they achieved as part of the operation.

According to the British Ministry of Defense, these aircraft hit buildings in the Bani region of NW Yemen from where the Houthis took off drones for reconnaissance flights and for attacks, as well as a military airport in the city of Abs, from where cruise missiles and drones were launched towards the Red Sea. .

The British ministry is speaking of a “carefully coordinated” attack on key Houthi facilities to limit the rebels’ ability to breach international law by attacking ships in the Red Sea.

It is also emphasized that in the planning of the strikes, special care was taken to minimize the risks to civilians, therefore it was decided to carry out the operation at night.

“The detailed effects of the strikes are being assessed, but early indications are that the Houthis’ ability to threaten commercial shipping has been hit,” says the British Ministry of Defence.

Defense Secretary Grant Shapps commented that “the threat to innocent lives and global trade has become so great that this action was not only necessary, but our duty to protect ships and freedom of navigation.”

Earlier in the night, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the ongoing Houthi attacks “cannot continue”.

He had spoken of defending freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce with “limited, necessary and proportionate self-defence action” alongside the US and with non-operational support from the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain to degrade military capabilities of the Houthis and to protect global shipping.

Mr Sunak added that the Royal Navy continues to patrol the Red Sea as part of the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian to deter aggression by the Houthis, who he called on to stop their attacks and take de-escalation steps.

The British prime minister had informed the cabinet, the opposition and the speaker of the House of Commons about the attack late on Thursday night, after the decision had been preceded by meetings of the Cobra committee and the National Security Council.