US, UK, France strongly condemn Houthi attack on oil tanker

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - The US, UK and French ​​​​​​​ambassadors to Yemen on Thursday strongly condemned an attack by Houthi rebels targeting an oil tanker at a Yemeni port, calling for immediately ending such aggression.

In a joint statement released on Twitter by the French embassy, the ambassadors of the three countries denounced Wednesday's attack on the tanker while it was docked at Qena port.

"By launching yet another assault on international shipping and the flow of fundamental necessities, the Houthis have once again demonstrated their abject failure to prioritize the Yemeni people," said the statement.

Reiterating their call for the Houthis "to immediately cease such attacks" and to respect their obligations under international law, the ambassadors also called on the group to fully cooperate with UN-led efforts to establish long-term peace and stability in the country.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since September 2014, when Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital, Sana’a.

A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in early 2015 to restore the government to power.

The eight-year conflict has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with millions suffering from hunger.