JAKARTA - The leader of the Houthi militia group in Yemen warned that Israel's presence in Somaliland would be considered a "military target", according to a statement published on Sunday, in the latest condemnation of Israel's move to recognize the breakaway region.
"We consider any Israeli presence in Somaliland as a military target for our armed forces, because it is an aggression against Somalia and Yemen, and a threat to regional security," the group's leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, said, according to a statement published by the group's online media, as reported by Al Arabiya from AFP (29/12).
The Houthi leader warned that Israel's move to recognize the Somaliland State carries serious consequences, saying the recognition is "a hostile stance targeting Somalia and its surroundings in Africa, as well as Yemen, the Red Sea, and countries along both coasts of the Red Sea."
As previously reported, Israel on Friday became the first country to recognize Somaliland, which seceded from Somalia in 1991, as a sovereign state.
Quoted from The Times of Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar signed the pledge on behalf of Israel. Meanwhile, the President of Somaliland Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi signed on behalf of his country, which is located in a key strategic region in the Horn of Africa, as he wished to join the Abraham Accords.
Somaliland, which is strategically located in the Gulf of Aden, has its own currency, passport and army. Regional analysts believe that an approach with Somaliland will give Israel better access to the Red Sea, allowing them to attack the Houthis in Yemen.
Israel has repeatedly attacked targets in Yemen since the Gaza war broke out in October 2023, in response to Houthi attacks on Israel that the militia says are a form of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
