AL-MUKALLA: The US-led naval coalition in the Red Sea has destroyed a Houthi drone and a remote-controlled, explosive-laden boat targeting merchant vessels off the Yemen coast.
US Central Command said early on Thursday that its forces had destroyed a remote-controlled boat, while an aircraft from the US-led coalition shot down a drone launched by the Yemeni militia on Wednesday at international commercial and naval ships.
“It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region,” CENTCOM said.
The EU’s Red Sea naval mission said on Wednesday that a French Navy helicopter shot down a Houthi drone flying over the southern Red Sea near commercial vessels. The Houthis have yet to claim responsibility for launching the drone or boat.
Since November, the militia has launched hundreds of missiles, drones, and remote-controlled boats against foreign commercial and naval ships in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden, claiming to be acting in support of Palestinians.
Meanwhile, the Houthis face growing condemnation over their deadly house destruction in Al-Bayda.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government urged the world, including the UN and other international bodies, on Thursday to designate the militia as terrorists, and to condemn Houthi human rights violations, such as the recent demolition of homes in Radaa, Al-Bayda, which left 35 civilians injured or dead.
In a letter to the UN Security Council, the UN secretary-general, and international delegates at the UN, the Yemeni government requested the UN take “concrete and strict measures” against the Houthis to put an end to their abuses in Yemen.
“While the terrorist Houthi militias falsely claim to be protecting the Palestinian people in Gaza, they continue to commit the same atrocities and heinous crimes against the Yemeni people that the Israeli occupation forces do against Palestinians.”
At the same time, foreign embassies in Yemen, as well as local and international human rights organizations, have condemned the Houthis for damaging people’s houses in Radaa and urged them to stop their attacks.
In a post on X, the British Embassy described “harrowing” photographs of Houthi damage to houses in Radaa, and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. “We condemn the attack in the strongest terms. More tragic loss of life from reckless Houthi attacks.”
Steven Fagin, the US ambassador to Yemen, called the Houthi destruction of houses “a brutal attack,” and said that the Yemeni militia continues to mistreat Yemenis in areas they control.
“This act of violence serves as a grim reminder of the ongoing suffering and instability that persists in areas controlled by the Houthis. The people of Yemen deserve to live in a safe and secure environment, free from the threat of violence and oppression, and the United States remains committed to supporting peace in Yemen,” the US ambassador said in a statement on X.
Human Rights Watch also called on the Houthis to immediately investigate the destruction of homes, bring those responsible to justice, and compensate those affected.
“Houthi forces in Yemen are continuing their brutal treatment of civilians under their rule by deliberately detonating a residential home and apparently killing at least nine people from the same family,” Michael Page, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
US-led Red Sea coalition destroys Houthi drone, boat
https://arab.news/rbwxw
US-led Red Sea coalition destroys Houthi drone, boat
- The EU’s Red Sea naval mission said on Wednesday that a French Navy helicopter shot down a Houthi drone flying over the southern Red Sea near commercial vessels
- The Houthis have yet to claim responsibility for launching the drone or boat
Palestinian health ministry says 4 killed in Israeli West Bank strike
The ministry announced that the Palestinians were killed “as a result of the (Israeli) bombing of a vehicle in Tulkarem camp,” which the Israeli army did not immediately confirm to AFP.
Turkiye, Iran leaders at Muslim summit in Cairo
- Relations between Egypt and Iran have been strained for decades, but diplomatic contacts have intensified since Cairo became a mediator in the war in Gaza
CAIRO: The leaders of Turkiye and Iran were in Egypt on Thursday for a summit of eight Muslim-majority countries, meeting for the first time since the ouster of Syria’s president Bashar Assad.
Turkiye historically backed the opposition to Assad, while Iran supported his rule.
The gathering of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, also known as the Developing-8, was being held against a backdrop of regional turmoil including the conflict in Gaza, a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon and unrest in Syria.
In a speech to the summit, Turkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for unity and reconciliation in Syria, urging “the restoration of Syria’s territorial integrity and unity.”
He also voiced hope for “the establishment of a Syria free of terrorism,” where “all religious sects and ethnic groups live side by side in peace.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged action to address the crises in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, saying that it is a “religious, legal and human duty to prevent further harm” to those suffering in these conflict zones.
Pezeshkian, who arrived in Cairo on Wednesday, is the first Iranian president to visit Egypt since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who visited in 2013.
Relations between Egypt and Iran have been strained for decades, but diplomatic contacts have intensified since Cairo became a mediator in the war in Gaza.
Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi visited Egypt in October, while his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty traveled to Tehran in July to attend Pezeshkian’s inauguration.
Ahead of the summit, the Iranian top diplomat said he hoped it would “send a strong message to the world that the Israeli aggressions and violations in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria” would end “immediately.”
Erdogan was in Egypt earlier this year, and discussed with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi economic cooperation as well as regional conflicts.
Established in 1997, the D-8 aims to foster cooperation among member states, spanning regions from Southeast Asia to Africa.
The organization includes Egypt, Turkiye, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia as member states.
Iraq begins repatriating Syrian soldiers amid border security assurances
DUBAI: Iraq has begun the process of returning Syrian soldiers to their home country, according to state media reports on Wednesday.
Lt. Gen. Qais Al-Muhammadawi, deputy commander of joint operations, emphasized the robust security measures in place along Iraq’s borders with Syria.
“Our borders are fortified and completely secure,” he said, declaring that no unauthorized crossings would be permitted.
Muhammadawi said that all border crossings with Syria are under tight control, stating: “We will not allow a terrorist to enter our territory.”
Turkiye won’t halt Syria military activity until Kurd fighters ‘disarm’
ISTANBUL: Turkiye will push ahead with its military preparations until Kurdish fighters “disarm,” a defense ministry source said Thursday as the nation faces an ongoing threat along its border with northern Syria.
“Until the PKK/YPG terrorist organization disarms and its foreign fighters leave Syria, our preparations and measures will continue within the scope of the fight against terrorism,” the source said.
Hamas says Israeli strikes in Yemen ‘dangerous development’
GAZA: Palestinian militant group Hamas said Thursday that Israel’s strikes in Yemen after the Houthi rebels fired a missile at the country were a “dangerous development.”
“We regard this escalation as a dangerous development and an extension of the aggression against our Palestinian people, Syria and the Arab region,” Hamas said in a statement as Israel struck ports and energy infrastructure in Yemen after intercepting a missile attack by the Houthis.
