Washington: Overnight airstrikes by the United States and its allies against positions and facilities of the Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, in Yemen have provoked protests in front of the White House, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

Protesters gathered near the White House late on Thursday, calling on Washington to stop conflicts in the Middle East. Activists, in addition to ending the Gaza war, are also calling on Washington to keep “hands off of Yemen.”

The action is proceeding peacefully, and the police are present at the site but not interfering, the correspondent reported.

The US and the United Kingdom carried out 23 overnight airstrikes against Houthi positions in four governorates of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the cities of Al Hudaydah, Saada and Taiz, provincial government officials told Sputnik. The US and UK officials confirmed the airstrikes, saying these were targeting Houthi military facilities and positions in Yemen in response to attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and not civilian population centers.

The Houthis said they were carrying out strikes against the UK and US military bases and positions and threatened that Washington and London would pay a “high price” for this massive attack.

On Thursday, the US Central Command said in a statement that the Houthis have attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea 27 times since November 19. The Houthis have previously announced their plans to prevent the passage of ships linked to Israeli companies or bound for Israel in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea until the latter’s military actions in the Gaza Strip end.