A series of Israeli strikes have been launched against the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah in Yemen.
The attack on oil refinery facilities resulted in fatalities in the western coastal city, according to the Houthis’ own TV station Al Masirah.
Explosions were reportedly heard throughout the city during the bombardment, citizens reportedly told the Reuters news agency.
The strikes come a day after the Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for a drone strike near the US embassy in central Tel Aviv, which left one person dead and at least 10 injured.
Israeli military said in a statement: “A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime in the area of the Al Hudaydah [Hodeidah] Port in Yemen in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the State of Israel in recent months.”
A map showing the Yemeni cities of Hodeidah and Aden
Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam wrote on social media platform X that “blatant Israeli aggression” targeted fuel storage facilities and the province’s power station.
He said the attacks will only make the people of Yemen and its armed forces more determined to support Gaza.
A series of Houthi-launched attacks have also targeted Western shipping using the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Earlier on Saturday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received reports of two attacks on a vessel 64 nautical miles (118.5 km) northwest of Yemen’s Mokha, causing slight damage.
The Houthi-held Red Sea port of Hodeidah. File pic: Reuters
The captain of the vessel reported attacks by an aerial drone, which exploded close to the vessel and by a seaborne drone, which also exploded nearby.
A maritime security source told Reuters that the ship, which has been identified as a Liberia-flagged container ship, was attacked by a skiff (small rowing boat) and drones.
Another attack occurred 83 nautical miles southeast of the Yemeni city of Aden late on Friday, when a Singapore-flagged vessel was damaged by a Houthi strike.
The UKMTO said that incident was still under investigation.