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epa11096553 Newly-recruited members of the Houthis' popular army attend a gathering at the end of a military training, on the outskirts of Sana'a, Yemen, 22 January 2024. Yemen's Houthis have mobilized and recruited thousands of tribal militiamen as part of the creation of a popular army dedicated to a possible confrontation with Israel amid fears of a wider regional conflict stemming from the Israel-Hamas conflict. The Houthis have vowed to keep up attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with the aim of ending the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, and in response to US-led retaliatory strikes. The US Department of State on 17 January announced the designation of Yemen's Houthis as a 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist group' amid an escalation of their attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden since November 2023. The US Department of Defense announced in December 2023 a multinational operation to safeguard trade and protect ships in the Red Sea amid the escalation in Houthi attacks. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB