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The United Kingdom has pledged to provide “additional defensive military support” to Saudi Arabia as it continues to come under attack from Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the Ministry of Defence announced on Tuesday.
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In a statement, the department said Typhoon fighter jets would fly “defensive counter air missions” in an effort to support the defence of Saudi cities and “critical national infrastructure” from aerial attacks.
“These aircraft will operate in a defensive role and will not conduct offensive strikes against the Houthis,” it said. “The UK will provide an RAF A400M to support the movement of defence materiel within Saudi Arabia, alongside UK military advisers to support Saudi staff officers.”
British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting branded Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as “absolutely despicable and dangerous for the region.”
“In particular, people will bring to mind the bombing of civilian airports that led to hundreds of casualties,” he told British media as he outlined the move, calling the attacks an “intolerable escalation.”
The Saudi-led coalition forces – which were formed in 2015 to back Yemen’s internationally recognised government – have reported increasing Houthi missile attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.
The Houthis declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia in July and have since been launching increasing attacks on Saudi cities and shipping, further heightening tensions in the Middle East.
A Houthi strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International airport earlier this month left 13 people dead and more than 300 injured, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation.
