18 April 2025 23:04 PM
NEWS DESKUS air strikes on Yemen's Ras Isa oil port have killed at least 74 people and injured more than 100, according to the Iran-backed Houthis, in what appears to be the deadliest such incident since President Donald Trump launched a new military campaign against the rebels last month.
The Houthis, who released graphic footage of the aftermath, claimed the strike targeted civilian workers. The blast engulfed the facility in flames and sent fireballs into the sky.
In a statement released on Friday, US Central Command defended the attack, saying American forces had struck to "eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal revenue that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorise the entire region for over 10 years."
The Pentagon did not comment on civilian casualties and declined to respond to questions from the media. The strike on Ras Isa, located in Yemen's western Hodeida province, represents a major escalation in a campaign that began on 15 March. However, neither the number of strikes nor the full toll has been publicly disclosed.
The Ras Isa port is the endpoint of a key oil pipeline from Marib, a government-held region rich in energy resources. Though oil exports have halted due to the ongoing civil war, the Houthis have reportedly used the facility to import fuel for years.
Yemen analyst Mohammed al-Basha said the Ras Isa strike was the "first mass-casualty incident the Houthis have openly acknowledged and publicised." He contrasted it with earlier strikes, including one that may have killed up to 70 Houthi fighters, which the group has remained silent about.
"This completely unjustified aggression represents a flagrant violation of Yemen's sovereignty and independence and a direct targeting of the entire Yemeni people," the Houthis said in a statement carried by the SABA news agency. "It targets a vital civilian facility that has served the Yemeni people for decades," they added.
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