WASHINGTON

The US State Department condemned the detentions by Yemen’s Houthi group of UN employees and local American mission staff alleged to be a spy cell working for the US and Israel.

"The United States strongly condemns the recent detentions by the Houthis of United Nations, diplomatic and non-governmental organization staff," said spokesman Matthew Miller in a statement Wednesday.

"We also strongly condemn the Houthis’ efforts to spread disinformation regarding the role of detained current and former U.S. mission local staff through televised forced and fake ‘confessions.’ Yet again, the Houthis are seeking to use disinformation to shift blame to the United States and other outside actors for their own failures," said Miller.

The number of US mission staff remains unknown, and multiple outlets reported that Houthi authorities released alleged confessions by 10 Yemenis, several of whom were reportedly recruited by the US Embassy.

The UN said that 11 employees were arrested by the Houthi group on Sunday.

"These Houthi actions reflect a blatant disregard for the dignity of the Yemeni people and individuals who – contrary to the Houthis’ lies – have dedicated themselves to their country’s betterment," said Miller.

Miller said the staff's detention and that of the UN staff "is an affront to diplomatic norms, and they should be released immediately."

"We will not rest until they are," he added.

The Houthis have been targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, where more than 37,100 people have been killed in a deadly Israeli offensive since last October following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.

With tensions escalating due to US-UK airstrikes against Houthi sites in Yemen, the group declared that it considers all American and British ships to be legitimate military targets.