Dubai (United Arab Emirates), December 19 (LaPresse/AP) – A series of intense Israeli airstrikes targeted Sana’a, the Yemeni capital controlled by rebels, and a port city, killing at least nine people, according to authorities. The attacks risk further escalating the conflict with the Iranian-backed Houthis, whose attacks on the Red Sea corridor have significantly impacted global maritime traffic.
The Houthi-controlled satellite broadcaster Al-Masirah reported that some of the raids targeted power plants in the capital and the Ras Isa oil terminal on the Red Sea. According to the channel, citing its correspondent in the port city of Hodeida, at least seven people were killed in the nearby port of Salif, while two others died at the Ras Isa oil terminal. Several others were injured in the port of Hodeida.
“The targets hit by the Israeli armed forces were used by Houthi forces for military purposes,” the Israeli military stated. “The strikes weaken the Houthi terrorist regime, preventing them from using the facilities for military and terrorist purposes, including smuggling Iranian weapons into the region.”
The raids occurred shortly after the Israeli military announced that its air force had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen before it entered Israeli territory. “Missile warning sirens were activated due to the possibility of debris from the interception,” the Israeli military said.