Houthis control parts of war-torn Yemen (Representational)
Yemen:
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said on Monday they had exposed a network of “spies” aiding the United States and Israel and arrested alleged members of it.
The Houthi-run Saba news agency published images of the detained men, describing them as “spies recruited to gather information and monitor sites operated by the Yemeni (Houthi) armed forces on the western coast of Yemen for the benefit of the American and Israeli enemy “.
According to Saba, the group was recruited after the Houthis began attacking ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in November, disrupting global trade in a campaign they say is in solidarity with Palestinians in the midst of the war. -Hamas.
The report did not specify the number of suspects arrested, but unverified images Saba shared on social media showed at least 18 people.
No evidence was provided to substantiate the charges, which Saba said the suspects had confessed to.
The Houthis, who control parts of war-torn Yemen, “will spare no effort in fulfilling their responsibility to secure the home front and protect it from infiltration attempts by the American and Israeli enemy,” Saba said.
The United States in December announced a maritime security initiative to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks, which have forced commercial ships to divert from the busy shipping lane that normally carries 12 percent of global trade.
Since January, the United States and Britain have launched repeated strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in response to their attacks on shipping.
The Houthi-run news agency said the suspects were tasked with monitoring anti-ship missile and drone launch sites and the location of Houthi ships, and sending coordinates to facilitate attacks by US and British forces.
The attacks did little to deter the Houthis, who have vowed to attack Israeli, American and British ships, as well as all vessels heading to Israeli ports.
On Friday, the Houthis threatened to extend their attacks into the Mediterranean Sea.
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