DaysofPal- A series of U.S. airstrikes on Yemen’s western province of Hodeidah has left at least 58 people dead and over 120 injured, according to media outlets affiliated with the Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement.
The strikes, which targeted the Ras Isa oil port on Thursday evening, mark the deadliest escalation yet in the ongoing U.S. military campaign against Houthi-controlled areas.
Footage broadcast by Al-Masirah TV, a Houthi-affiliated news outlet, showed scenes of devastation and scattered bodies at the site of the attack. The casualties reportedly included port workers, medics, and other civilians present at the time of the strikes. Initial reports had put the death toll at 38, but the figure later rose to 58 dead and 126 wounded.
In addition to the airstrikes on Ras Isa, the Houthis reported that U.S. forces carried out nine other raids on al-Bayda governorate in central Yemen and Sana’a in the north. The United States has conducted near-daily air operations targeting Houthi-held territories since mid-March.
In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the airstrikes, stating they were aimed at crippling the Houthis’ economic infrastructure. The Ras Isa oil port, the military said, had been a significant source of illicit revenue for the group.
“These strikes were conducted to stop the flow of illicit revenue that Ansar Allah uses to support its terrorist operations,” CENTCOM said.
“The port was being used to illegally refuel ships, generating profits that fund the group’s ongoing activities.”
U.S. officials framed the operation as part of a broader campaign to weaken the Houthis’ ability to threaten international maritime security and to pressure them into halting attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
According to CENTCOM, Thursday’s strike marks the highest single-day death toll of the ongoing U.S. air campaign in Yemen, launched under President Donald Trump’s administration on March 15.
The escalation comes amid heightened regional tensions following Israel’s renewed offensive on the Gaza Strip, which resumed on March 18. In response, the Houthis vowed to step up their attacks in solidarity with Palestinians and resumed targeting U.S. and Israeli vessels in regional waters.
On Friday morning, the Israeli military announced it had intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, triggering sirens across large parts of central Israel. The missile was neutralized, and no injuries or damage were reported.
The Houthis have previously launched multiple attacks on maritime targets, claiming to be acting in support of the Palestinian cause and in protest against Israeli actions in Gaza.
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