Symbolic imageUK to fly Typhoons over Saudi Arabia as toll from Houthi strike on Yemeni camp rises to 73
Britain announced on Tuesday that RAF Typhoons will fly defensive missions over Saudi Arabia. The death toll from Monday's Houthi strike on a Yemeni government camp has risen to 73.
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said on Tuesday, 20 October, that RAF Typhoons will protect Saudi cities and infrastructure from Houthi drones and missiles but will not carry out offensive strikes. Britain will also send an Atlas A400M transport aircraft and military advisers, and has extended its RAF Voyager refuelling mission by 90 days. Streeting pointed to the Houthi missile attack on Riyadh's airport, which killed 12 people according to Le Monde and 13 according to the Guardian. HA Hellyer of the RUSI thinktank asked what "defensive" means, saying Britain might call an action defensive while the Houthis would see it as offensive. The Guardian adds that the US has stepped up intelligence support and sent more than 100 military advisers.
Shabwa camp toll climbs
The Houthi missile strike on Monday, 19 October, on a training camp for Saudi-backed government forces in Shabwa has killed 73 people, the Guardian reports. Yemeni authorities had earlier given a toll of 58, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Taiz under pressure
Arab News quotes a government military spokesperson saying Yemeni forces captured new positions around Taiz and killed an estimated 558 Houthi fighters within 24 hours. The Jerusalem Post notes that the Houthis have tightened their siege of the city and that Egypt is reportedly considering sending forces to help Saudi Arabia.