Yemen's Houthi-held port of Hodeida still ablaze 2 days after Israeli strike
Israeli strikes on oil storage facilities at a Houthi-held port in Yemen sparked a fire that crews have been unable to control.
In Yemen's Hodeida port, firefighting teams were battling a massive fire that had been raging for three days following a deadly Israeli strike. The blaze, which sent heavy flames and black smoke into the sky, appeared to be expanding, with fears that it could reach food storage facilities. High-resolution satellite images revealed the extent of the damage, with at least 33 destroyed oil storage tankers. The strike, which was the first by Israel on Yemen, has led to calls for a "huge" response from the Iran-backed Houthi rebel movement, who control a large portion of the country and have threatened to attack Tel Aviv again.
The strike on the fuel depot, run by the Yemen Petroleum Company, killed six employees and wounded over 80 others, many with severe burns. A funeral ceremony was held for the victims, with their coffins carried through the streets of Hodeida flanked by crowds. The strike came in retaliation for a Houthi drone attack that breached Israel's air defenses, killing one person. As part of an informal network of Iran-backed groups in the region, the Houthis have regularly attacked commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, prompting U.S. and British forces to target their military infrastructure.
The strike on the fuel depot, run by the Yemen Petroleum Company, killed six employees and wounded over 80 others, many with severe burns. A funeral ceremony was held for the victims, with their coffins carried through the streets of Hodeida flanked by crowds. The strike came in retaliation for a Houthi drone attack that breached Israel's air defenses, killing one person. As part of an informal network of Iran-backed groups in the region, the Houthis have regularly attacked commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, prompting U.S. and British forces to target their military infrastructure.