(Adds ambassadors meeting in paragraphs 4-5)
LONDON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Britain said in a joint statement on Tuesday that 24 countries, including the United States, Germany and Australia, conducted additional strikes on Monday against eight targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
"In response to continued illegal and reckless Houthi attacks against vessels transiting the Red Sea and surrounding waterways, the armed forces of the United States and United Kingdom, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, conducted additional strikes against eight targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen," a joint statement issued by the British prime minister's office said.
"These strikes were designed to disrupt and degrade the capability of the Houthis to continue their attacks on global trade and innocent mariners from around the world, while avoiding escalation."
Ambassadors to Yemen from the five countries that are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - Russia, China, France, United Kingdom and the U.S. will meet on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Yemen, Russia's TASS state news agency reported.
"Despite the complexity of the situation in the world, we continue to exchange views within the framework of regular meetings of the 'five' ambassadors to Yemen ... the next such meeting will take place on January 24," Russia's Charge d'Affaires in Yemen Evgeny Kudrov told TASS in an interview.
