North Korea condemns US strikes against Yemen, KCNA says

North Korea condemned recent US strikes on Yemen as an act violating international law and a country's sovereignty and said such a move could never be justified in any way, the North's state media quoted on Tuesday its ambassador to Yemen as saying.

The large-scale US strikes were launched by President Donald Trump last week targeting Iran-aligned Houthis over the group's attacks on Red Sea shipping. The Houthi-run health ministry said the strikes killed at least 53 people including women and children.

The North Korean ambassador, Ma Dong Hui, who the KCNA state news agency said was also Pyongyang's envoy to Egypt, said Washington "indiscriminately" targeted civilians and property by mobilising air and navy forces including an aircraft carrier.

"The military attack by the United States is a violent violation of the UN Charter and international law, and is a blatant infringement on the territorial sovereignty of another country that cannot be justified by any means," Ma said.

"I express grave concern about the illegal and reckless military actions by the United States, which is obsessed with realising geopolitical ambitions ... and I strongly condemn and reject them."

The US Defense Department said the strikes hit more than 30 sites and involved fighter jets launched from a carrier in the Red Sea.