Yemen’s internationally recognised government has said that “defensive” US and British strikes on the Houthi rebels aren’t enough and called for US and Saudi support to “eliminate” their ability to stage attacks on Red Sea shipping, AFP reports.

“Defensive operations are not the solution. The solution is to eliminate the Houthis’ military capabilities,” Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Saudi-backed presidential leadership council, told a briefing with journalists in the Saudi capital Riyadh.