Daijiworld Media Network- Sanaa
Sana’a, Apr 19: A series of deadly US airstrikes on the Ras Isa fuel port in Yemen’s Hodeidah province has left at least 80 dead and 150 others injured, according to Houthi-run health authorities. The strikes, which took place late Thursday, targeted key fuel storage facilities in the region, marking the deadliest escalation since Washington resumed its military campaign against Houthi-held territories in March.
The victims, mostly port workers including five paramedics, were killed during two waves of airstrikes that also hit emergency responders arriving on the scene, according to Xinhua. Witnesses said the attacks destroyed several fuel storage tanks and sparked massive fires that took hours to extinguish.
Ras Isa, situated northwest of the Red Sea city of Hodeidah, serves as a crucial fuel entry point for Houthi-controlled areas. The group, which has held swathes of northern Yemen since 2014, condemned the strikes as a “full-fledged war crime” and vowed retaliation.
A local resident reported that the dead included truck drivers, civilian trainees, and contractors, in addition to regular port staff. The second wave of strikes allegedly targeted rescue teams still attempting to recover bodies and douse flames.
The US Central Command (USCENTCOM) confirmed the airstrikes, claiming they were meant to cripple the Houthis' economic infrastructure. “The Houthis have continued to benefit economically and militarily from countries and companies that provide material support,” said USCENTCOM in a statement, adding that fuel profits were being used to sustain Houthi military operations.
Yemen’s Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani echoed these claims, accusing the Houthis of turning the fuel port into a hub for arms smuggling. However, the Houthi group maintains that Ras Isa is a civilian facility, and dismissed US and Yemeni government accusations as politically motivated.
Yemen’s Minister of Oil and Minerals, Saeed al-Shamasi, reassured citizens that ports under government control — including Aden, Mukalla, Nishtun, and Mocha — are equipped to handle national fuel and food requirements.
In retaliation, a missile was reportedly launched from Yemen towards Israel on Friday, intercepted by Israeli defenses. The Houthis claimed the launch was in response to the US strikes and reaffirmed their pledge to disrupt Israeli maritime activities in the Red Sea.
Tensions continue to escalate in the region, with the Houthis warning that the "US crime will not pass without painful punishment," further complicating the already fragile humanitarian and political situation in Yemen.