Houthis claim US strikes on Yemeni oil port kill 74

On Friday, the group said US airstrikes on an oil port held by Yemen's Houthi rebels had killed 74 people and wounded 171.

The operation was the deadliest attack yet in President Donald Trump's new campaign targeting insurgents.

Assessing the impact of Trump's campaign, which began on March 15, is difficult because U.S. Central Command has yet to release any information about the campaign, its specific targets or the death toll.

At the same time, Yemen's Houthi rebels strictly control access to the affected areas and have not provided details of the strikes, many of which likely targeted military and security targets.

However, the attack on the Ras Isa oil port, which sent huge fireballs into the night sky, was a significant escalation in the American campaign.

The Houthis immediately released a video showing the victims of the attack.

A statement from Central Command said “U.S. forces took action to disrupt this source of fuel for the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists and deny them the illicit revenue that has funded the Houthi terrorists' efforts in the region for more than a decade.”

“This strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen, who have every right to seek to escape the oppression of the Houthis and live in peace,” the statement added.

The company has not confirmed any casualties and declined to comment on Associated Press reports of suspected civilian casualties.

Later, the Iranian-backed Houthis fired a rocket toward Israel that was intercepted, the Israeli military said, and sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and other areas.

Meanwhile, the war in Yemen has taken on an even more international dimension after the US said a Chinese satellite company was “directly supporting” Houthi attacks, although Beijing has declined to comment on the matter.

The port of Ras Isa, consisting of three oil tanks and oil refining facilities, is located in Yemen's Hodeidah province on the Red Sea coast.

NASA satellites monitoring wildfires have recorded intense blazes in an area near Kamaran Island, which has been the target of intense US airstrikes in recent days.

The Houthi al-Masirah satellite news channel showed graphic footage of the aftermath, showing bodies strewn across the area. It said the attack killed a paramedic and civilians working at the port, triggered a massive explosion and

Sourse: breakingnews.ie

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