A deadly US airstrike on a key Yemeni oil port has killed over 70 people and wounded many others, escalating President Donald Trump’s campaign against the Houthi rebels. The strike targeted the Ras Isa port, a vital hub for incoming fuel shipments that power areas of Yemen held by the Houthis.
The attack, which occurred overnight, sent massive fireballs billowing skyward and turned tanker trucks into burning wrecks. It is believed to be the first American attack on a Houthi-controlled oil facility in the new US bombing campaign.
The Houthis claim the strike killed at least 74 people and wounded 171 others, with graphic footage showing corpses strewn about the port and smashed tanker trucks. The group denounced the strike as a “completely unjustified aggression.”
US officials say the attack aimed to eliminate a source of fuel for the Houthi rebels and deprive them of illegal revenue that has funded their efforts to terrorize the region.
The Ras Isa port is strategically important, serving as an import hub for fuel and other essential goods. The US airstrikes have targeted military targets in Yemen, but also civilian areas, complicating the assessment of casualties.
Chinese satellite company Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. Ltd. has been accused by the US of supporting Houthi attacks on US interests, with the State Department alleging it provided images allowing the rebels to target US warships and commercial vessels.
The incident marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict in Yemen, with regional powers and global actors increasingly involved.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/yemen-us-airstrikes-563f61bbd96e1f2de68373fdf76c8811