A view of ballistic missiles during a military parade held by Yemeni Armed Forces to mark the anniversary of their takeover in Sana’a, Yemen, on September 21, 2023. (Photo by Reuters)

Sanaa, May 31 (RHC)--  Yemen has vowed a "painful response" to overnight airstrikes by U.S.-British forces against targets across the Muslim nation, which killed at least 16 people and left several others injured.

“Yemen will definitely respond to the American and British acts of aggression against our country and the American-British coalition will not be able to ward off our responses,” Ali al-Qahoum, a member of the political bureau of Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement,  told Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen television. 

“The Americans and Britons must have understood how powerful Yemeni strikes will be. Our ballistic missiles can target desired targets in the sea and in the occupied Palestinian territories," he said. 

Qahoum suggested that the US, as the top ally of Israel and supporter of the regime's expansion of an ongoing invasion of the Gaza Strip, had no interest in a de-escalation in the region.    “If the United States does not seek to expand the scope of the war, it should then end its support for the invasion of Gaza and its siege. Yemeni attacks will otherwise continue and its scope will also expand,” Qahoum pointed out.

Nasruddin Amer, another member of the political bureau of Ansarallah movement, also said Yemeni and Palestinian nations will definitely emerge triumphant and achieve victory.  “This is a divine promise and it will definitely come true.  Even if the whole world attacks Sana'a, we will never abandon Gaza,” he pointed out.

The remarks came hours after Yemen's official Saba news agency, citing a security source speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that a U.S.-British airstrike hit the radio station building in the al-Hawak district of Yemen’s strategic western province of Hudaydah early on Friday.  The source noted that two people were killed and ten others injured as a result.

U.S. and British forces also conducted strikes against the communications network in an area of the Hayfan district in Yemen's southwestern province of Ta'izz, and on several buildings in the capital province of Sana’a.

Yemen's al-Masirah television channel said 14 people were killed and more than 30 were wounded in the strikes.

The Yemeni Armed Forces have staged numerous pro-Palestinian strikes since October 7, when the Israeli regime began the Gaza war.

American and British warships have been carrying out attacks against the Arab Peninsula nation to force Yemen to stop its operations against Israeli vessels or those heading towards the ports lying in the occupied Palestinian territories.

At least 36,224 Palestinians have been killed and 81,777 others wounded in the brutal Israeli military onslaught that was launched following Al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation staged by Gaza’s resistance groups.

The United States has been the main supporter of Israel, providing it with munitions and political support in its brutal war on Gaza.  Washington has also used its veto power to protect Israel against UN resolutions.