Thousands of Houthi followers, some armed, gathered in the capital of Yemen for a parade celebrating the terror group’s recent attacks in the Red Sea against the US and Israel. Monday’s rally in Sanaa saw demonstrators waving guns and Palestinian flags, while some also trampled on Israeli and American flags in a display of support for the Iran-backed terrorists and solidarity against their enemies. The event also served to express backing for the Palestinian militant group Hamas, engaged in conflict with Israel in Gaza since launching an attack on Israel in early October.
The demonstration coincided with the terror group’s unverified claim of attacking a US Navy vessel in the region, swiftly refuted by American officials. The Houthi military spokesman announced that the group had fired a missile at the USS Lewis B. Puller, a mobile base used by the Navy in seizing Iranian-made weapons destined for Yemen, in the Gulf of Aden.
The intensified activities follow American-led airstrikes in Yemen earlier in the month, prompted by the Houthis’ assault on shipping vessels in the Red Sea. The US and Britain carried out retaliatory strikes, destroying several Houthi drone and missile sites.
The attacks in the region have caused disruptions in global trade, affecting a key supply route between Europe and Asia. The Houthis have vowed to persist in their actions until the war in Gaza concludes and have denounced their relisting as a specially designated global terrorist organization by the Biden administration. The group’s leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, welcomed the confrontation with the US, claiming it would only strengthen the militant group.
With Post wires
