Highest death toll reported in this assault by the US on Yemen.
Al Masirah TV declared that the strikes, which took place early on Friday, injured 80 more, quoting the Hodeidah Health Office.
The US military claims that the strikes aim to halt the fuel supply for Houthi fighters. Washington has maintained its stance to continue targeting Houthi targets in Yemen until the group halts its assaults on Red Sea shipping.
“The purpose of these strikes is to undermine the economic power source of the Houthis, who persistently exploit and cause suffering to their own people,” stated the US Central Command in an post on X.
Ras Isa houses an oil pipeline and port, recognized as “crucial and irreplaceable infrastructure” in Yemen by the United Nations Development Programme. Approximately 70 percent of Yemen’s imports and 80 percent of its humanitarian aid transits through the ports of Ras Issa, Hodeidah, and Salif.
Last month, the US embarked on a significant operation against the Houthis.
In response to the Israel-Gaza conflict, the Houthis have initiated over 100 attacks on the Red Sea — a critical global shipping route — since November 2023, as noted by the open-source intelligence platform Geopolitical Monitor.
Houthi forces have expanded from about 220,000 in 2022 to 350,000 by the end of 2024, partly due to its stance against Israel, the site mentioned.
