U.S. airstrikes targeting the Ras Isa oil port held by Yemen's Houthi rebels killed 58 people and wounded 126 others, the group said Friday, marking what appeared to be the single-deadliest known attack under President Trump's new campaign targeting the rebels.
Assessing the toll of Mr. Trump's campaign, which began March 15, has been incredibly difficult as the U.S. military's Central Command so far hasn't released any information on the campaign, its specific targets and how many people have been killed. Meanwhile, Yemen's Houthi rebels strictly control access to areas attacked and don't publish information on the strikes, many of which likely have targeted military and security sites.
But the strike on the Ras Isa oil port, which sent massive fireballs shooting into the night sky, represented a major escalation of the American campaign. The Houthis also immediately released graphic footage of those killed in the attack.
The war in Yemen, meanwhile, was further internationalized as the U.S. alleged a Chinese satellite company was "directly supporting" Houthi attacks, something Beijing didn't immediately acknowledge.
The Houthis' al-Masirah satellite news channel aired graphic footage of the aftermath of the attack on Ras Isa port, showing corpses strewn across the site. It said paramedic and civilians workers at the port had been killed in the attack, which sparked a massive explosion and fires.
In a statement, Central Command said "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."
"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," it added. It didn't acknowledge any casualties and declined to comment when asked by The Associated Press regarding civilians reportedly being killed.
The Ras Isa port, a collection of three oil tanks and refining equipment, sits in Yemen's Hodeida governorate along the Red Sea. NASA satellites that track forest fires showed an intense blaze early Friday morning at the site just off Kamaran Island, targeted by intense U.S. airstrikes over the last few days.
