US airstrikes against the Ras Isa oil terminal in Yemen reportedly killed dozens on Thursday, though the smoke is still clearing on exact numbers. Citing Houthi-run media, Reuters reports that at least 38 are dead, while the BBC puts the number at closer to 60. More than 100 others are reportedly injured. "The objective of these strikes was to degrade the economic source of power of the Houthis, who continue to exploit and bring great pain upon their fellow countrymen," US Central Command tweeted on Thursday. "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."
"The Houthis, their Iranian masters, and those who knowingly aid and abet their terrorist actions should be put on notice that the world will not accept illicit smuggling of fuel and war material to a terrorist organization," the command added. Local authorities say many of those killed were workers at the site, with paramedics also being killed as they arrived on the scene to help. The US has been conducting sweeping land and sea strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis since last month, with a warning that the bombardment won't stop until the rebel group stops attacking ships in the Red Sea.
The Houthis, for their part, say the targeted naval attacks against ships tied to Israel are in protest against the war in Gaza. The AP reports that this latest assault is the "single-deadliest known attack under President Donald Trump's new campaign targeting the rebels." The Houthis, meanwhile, claim that Ras Isa is a civilian site and that the attack is a "full-fledged war crime," per the BBC, which cites Houthi-run media in reporting that more than a dozen airstrikes hit the oil terminal on Thursday.
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"We hold the US administration fully responsible for the consequences resulting from its escalation in the Red Sea," Houthi leaders said in a statement. Hours after the strikes against Ras Isa, the Israeli military reported that it had intercepted a missile that came out of Yemen, triggering sirens in Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel. (More Yemen stories.)
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