ISTANBUL

Yemen's Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said Friday that his group is “serious” about targeting any Israeli military presence in Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland.

Al-Houthi made the threat in a televised address marking the anniversary of the killing of the group’s founder, Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi, aired by the group’s Al Masirah TV.

His remarks came after Israel announced on Dec. 26 that it had officially recognized Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, becoming the only country to do so. The move drew sharp criticism across the region, describing the recognition as illegal and a threat to international peace and security.

Al-Houthi said his group “reaffirms Yemen’s position in support of the Muslim Somali people,” describing developments in Somaliland as a “threat to Yemen and the peoples of the region,” and a danger to the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

“There must be practical positions,” he said. “We continue to monitor the situation and are serious about targeting any Israeli presence in Somaliland, a military base or any fixed position available to us, and we will not hesitate to target it militarily,” he added.

He accused Israel of seeking to advance its objectives in Somalia by exploiting the region’s strategic location overlooking the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandab, saying this threatens regional security and aims to control key maritime routes.

Al-Houthi also referred to a recent visit by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to Somaliland, saying it was carried out “covertly” and without prior announcement.

Saar visited Somaliland on Jan. 6 in what was described as the first such visit since Israel announced its recognition of the breakaway region.

There was no immediate Israeli response to the Houthi statements.

Somaliland has operated as a de facto self-governing entity since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, but it has not received international recognition as a sovereign state.