US Airstrike On Yemen’s Oil Port Reportedly Kills 74 Persons, 171 Others Injured
The strike, which sent massive fireballs into the night sky, hit the oil facility for the first time in the ongoing American offensive, escalating months of military action.
At least 74 people were killed and 171 others injured in a United States’ airstrike on the Ras Isa oil port in Yemen, the Houthi rebel group said Friday, marking the deadliest known attack in President Donald Trump’s renewed campaign against the group.
The strike, which sent massive fireballs into the night sky, hit the oil facility for the first time in the ongoing American offensive, escalating months of military action.
“U.S. forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal revenue that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorize the entire region for over 10 years,” said the Central Command in a statement.
“This strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen, who rightly want to throw off the yoke of Houthi subjugation and live peacefully,” the statement added.
The Houthis’ al-Masirah TV showed graphic footage of bodies and wrecked tanker trucks ablaze at the port.
“It targets a vital civilian facility that has served the Yemeni people for decades,” the Houthis said in a statement, condemning the strike as a “completely unjustified aggression.”
Satellite images analysed by Planet Labs PBC and the Associated Press on Friday revealed destroyed fuel tanks and oil leaking into the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, the Houthis launched a missile toward Israel on Friday, which the Israeli military said was intercepted. Sirens rang out across Tel Aviv and surrounding areas.
The U.S. also accused Chinese satellite firm Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. Ltd. of “directly supporting Iran-backed Houthi terrorist attacks on U.S. interests.”
The State Department cited reports that the firm provided satellite images enabling Houthis to target U.S. warships and merchant vessels in the Red Sea corridor.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have attacked over 100 vessels, killing four sailors and sinking two ships, according to U.S. sources.
