Casualties Continue to Rise After U.S. Airstrike
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen announced on the 17th (local time) that the death toll from a U.S. airstrike had risen to 74.
According to AFP on the 18th, Anis Al-Raibahi, spokesperson for the Houthi-controlled Ministry of Health, stated that the U.S. airstrike on Ras Issa port killed 74 people and injured 171 others. The previously reported casualties were 38 dead and 102 injured.
This attack marks the highest number of casualties since U.S. airstrikes against the Houthis began several weeks ago, following an order from U.S. President Donald Trump on March 15.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East, announced the previous day on X (formerly Twitter) that it had carried out an airstrike on Ras Issa port on Yemen's western coast to block fuel supplies to the Houthi rebels.
Central Command stated, "The purpose of this operation is to weaken the economic resources of the Houthi rebels, who exploit and inflict suffering on the Yemeni people," emphasizing, "There is no intention to harm the Yemeni people who wish to live peacefully and free from Houthi control."
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war in 2023, the Houthi rebels have attacked Israeli and Western vessels passing through the Red Sea, claiming to support the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
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