Britain to provide Saudi Arabia with 'defensive' military support: report

LONDON -- Britain will provide defensive air-to-air refueling support to Saudi Arabia in response to recent attacks by Yemen's Houthi group, the BBC reported on Monday.

According to the report, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham made the announcement to reporters aboard his plane en route to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, saying he had agreed to a Saudi request for military support.

The support is expected to begin in the coming days and involve a Royal Air Force Voyager aircraft providing air-to-air refueling for Saudi jets. British officials said the deployment would initially last for several weeks.