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Houthi rebels of Yemen: A look at the movement and how the US and UK strikes came about
The group has an estimated 20,000 fighters
WESTERN forces have taken action following drone and rocket attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea by Houthi rebels of Yemen.
It's the first time strikes have been launched against Houthis since they started targeting international shipping in the Red Sea in 2023.
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Who are the Houthi rebels of Yemen?
The Houthi rebels of Yemen are a group from a sub-sect of the Shia Muslim minority, the Zaidis.
The group was first formed in the 1990s to combat what they saw as the corruption of then-president, Ali Abdullah Saleh.
In 2003, President Saleh, who was backed by Saudi Arabia's military, tried to eliminate the Houthi rebels.
However, the Houthis repelled them both.
The Houthi movement in Yemen has been fighting a civil war against the country's national government since 2014.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war, they sprung from relative obscurity to holding roughly £1trillion of world trade hostage - turning one of the world's busiest shipping lanes into an active warzone.
Why are the Houthi rebels attacking Red Sea ships?
The rebel group has been launching relentless drone and missile assaults on any ships they deem to be connected with Israel in solidarity with their ally Hamas.
However, there have been frequent attacks on commercial vessels with little or no link to Israel - forcing global sea traffic to halt operations in the region and sending shipping prices soaring.
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Houthi attacks in the Red Sea increased by 50 percent between November and December.
On January 12, 2024, it was reported that explosions rang out across Yemen as the UK and US struck 60 Houthi targets in 16 locations in response to their Red Sea attacks.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said they acted in "self-defence" after the Iran-backed militia group vowed America and Britain would "pay a heavy price" for their "blatant aggression".
Western coalition forces smashed dozens of military targets shortly after the Prime Minister gave the go-ahead at an Emergency Cabinet meeting.
Who backs the Houthi rebels?
Since 2014, Hezbollah, a Shia armed group based in Lebanon, has been providing the Houthi rebels with training, according to the US research institute, the Combating Terrorism Center.
The Houthis are also backed by Iran as part of its longstanding animosity with Saudi Arabia.
Iran denies involvement in attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea.
How much of Yemen do the Houthis control?
The Shia militant group now controls most of Yemen, with the majority of the Yemeni population living in areas under Houthi control.
In the north of Yemen and Sanaa, the Houthi rebels, which have an estimated 20,000 fighters, also control the Red Sea coastline.
Who are the Houthi rebel leaders?
The group is named after their founder - Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi.
According to reports by the Wilson Center: ''Abdul Malik al Houthi, brother of Hussein al Houthi, has been the group’s spiritual, military, and political leader since 2007.
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''His brother-in-law, Youssef al Midani, is the deputy leader.
''Abdul Malik’s two brothers, Yahia and Abdul-Karim, are also senior leaders of the movement.''