Houthis say any Israeli presence in Somalia would be targeted militarily

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al Houthi on Monday said that the organisation condemns Israel's recognition of Somaliland as an independent state, adding that any Israeli presence in Somalia "will be a military target for our forces."

"The Israeli enemy, through its declaration, seeks to engage in hostile activities that threaten the security of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden," he said in a statement broadcast on the Al Masirah television channel. 

He said that the Houthis would take "all possible means of support" to stand by the Somali people.

"We call on the Red Sea states and the Arab and Islamic world to take practical steps to prevent the Israeli enemy from violating Somalia's sovereignty," he added.