 United Kingdom preparing to attack Houthis. Britain is preparing to launch airstrikes against Yemen's Houthi militants in response to a wave of attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, the Times reported. The US and another European country will also take part in the strikes, the newspaper claimed. London and Washington are expected to release a joint statement warning the Houthis to immediately cease their attacks or face military action from the west. The message is intended as a final warning a British government source told the newspaper. And the Yemeni fighters failed to heed the warning British and American ships and warplanes will launch missiles at pre-plan targets in Yemen itself and on the Red Sea, the Times reported adding that an unnamed European country will possibly join the operation too. The Houthis who control a large part of Yemen's territory have attacked dozens of container ships in the Red Sea since the Israel Hamas war broke out in October in a bid to drive freight traffic away from the Jewish state and disrupt global supply chains for as long as Israel's military campaign continues. The US announced a maritime task force earlier last month to patrol the Red Sea, although Washington struggled to secure support from its allies with Spain insisting that it would only take part in a NATO-led mission and Italy dispatching warships only to defend Italian ship owners.